The Other Son of Poseidon
by The Princess of Stars
Summary: *SEQUEL TO '17 YEARS LATER'* Have you ever wondered what happened to Annabeth after Percy left her? What could happen if she hadn't told him about...someone? What could happen if this someone, who became a world famous actor, came back and a certain love goddess has nothing to do? Two words: A LOT!
1. Chapter 1

**This story is a sequel to "17 Years Later", don't read if you haven't read that story, first. Annabeth is movie-verse.  
Enjoy!**

* * *

**Annabeth's POV:**

_"Hey Jack,  
how are you? Sorry if I haven't been able to answer you earlier, but things are kind of crazy, right now. You know: a growing son and step-daughter (who I usually catch making-out, but you know I don't mind. They're not blood-related, so it's pretty normal, plus, it's thanks to them if Percy and I have been married for two years, now), taking care of little Angel, moving to a bigger apartment AND…wait for it…wait for it…MY OWN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM! That's right! Remember when I've had another argument with Satan's Mistress, my boss, and when I came home, I found a letter from Raffaello Tramagliani, THE Raffaello Tramagliani, that Italian world famous architect who owns the company 'Tramagliani-Architettura'?**(**_**A/N: The architect and the company, don't exist, I made it up)** _Remember that I accepted the offer and went to work with him? Well, finally, after two years working with him, I managed to open my own firm! Clarisse, Silena and Thalia are also working with me. Lily was still working as my secretary, but I gave her a promotion. She has worked really hard these years, the Vixen never noticed it, but I did. It was about time she got that promotion._

_Enough about me, though. How are things in India? You're still in India, right? I never know where you are Travel Boy! Did you find out anything else about your family, yet? If you haven't, I hope you do, and don't lose hope, Jack! Remember: 'even in the darkest places, there's always a light guiding you ahead'. Sounds familiar?  
Write me soon_

_Love_

_ -Annabeth"_

I clicked on the 'send' icon and sent the e-mail. You're probably wondering who's Jack, right? Here's the answer: my ex.  
That's right! I lied to you and to Percy when I said my only other relationship, after him was Apollo. You're probably going to say: _what's the point of lying? And why would you send an e-mail to your ex, telling him about your life? _As an answer to the second question, I would say: because he's my best friend. The answer to the first one is: because he's my husband's half-brother.

His name is Jack Knight and he is the other son of Poseidon. Jack has kind of a complicated story, actually Knight, isn't even his last name! When I first met him he was simply 'Jack'. Our relationship is kind of complicated, too but not in a bad way. With 'complicated' I mean 'strange'. We passed from hating each other, to best friends, to couple and now we are best friends again. I haven't seen Jack since I was 23 years-old, but we have kept in touch for 15 years, by phone calling, and e-mails. I don't know since when Percy hasn't seen his brother, but I don't think it will be much of a good thing. Percy has always been kind of jealous towards Jack, why? For starters: Jack is super intelligent. He has an IQ of 198, two points under the maximum, and second, having this high IQ, my mother practically loved him. He is also very good-looking. He could be easily mistaken by Percy if you look at him from behind. I remember very well the first time I met him…

**_Flashback_**

_I was walking towards the pavilion, holding hands with Percy. It was our first day of camp, one year after fighting Kronos. This year we had a lot of newcomers and Chiron called all of us to give them a tour and be their guides around camp for the first week. As we arrived to the pavilion, lots of new faces were there._

_"Wow! I knew we would get new campers, but not this many!" I said_

_"That's two of us, then"_

_"Ready to see who we will tour for the week?"_

_"Yup! I just hope it's not a guy" I glared at him._

_"Oh, really? Why is that?" I said stopping on my tracks._

_"I don't want him to check you out!" Percy said. I looked at him and smiled, he did the same. I leaned up and gave him a small kiss, and we kept walking to the pavilion until we joined the others. Chiron then walked in front of us and started greeting the newcomers, and telling them what we were about to do. I scanned all the newbies. There were boys and girls of all ages, who were already getting to know each other, whispering between them while Chiron was talking. One of them, who was standing all alone, caught my attention mostly. He was very tall, about 6'4", very athletic looking and naturally tanned. He wore a white V-neck muscle shirt, a black and dark red leather jacket, black jeans, and Nike shoes. He also had a dark red bandana around his neck, and a shark-tooth necklace. He was also holding a backpack. He had wavy jet-black hair that made part in the middle, and long enough that covered half of his ear , making a few strands fall on his eyes. His eyes caught my attention, mostly; they were blue, but not any blue, it was a weird blue, I couldn't quite tell if they were bright blue or gray. I then noticed that the guy was looking the same way I was, making eye-contact, but none of us dropped our gaze, while studying the other._

_"Hello! Earth to Annabeth!" Percy said waving his hand in front of me, making me lose eye-contact with the guy._

_"What?"_

_"Chiron just called us"_

_"Oh, right!" I said and we walked to him._

_"Annabeth, Percy" Chiron begun "you will be showing around Mr. Jack…I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your last name"_

_"Because I didn't tell you" the guy I was looking at just a moment ago rudely said "And I can't tell you. I don't have one" the Jack guy continued._

_"Anyway, you are going to show him around" Chiron patiently said, and we left the pavilion with the new and impolite guy. _

_"I'm Annabeth. Annabeth Chase" I said offering him my hand to shake it. He took it and shook it, gently, but at the same time firmly. As he was up close, I could finally see his eyes much better, they were crystal blue, but they had small golden specks in them and the blue stretched to a gray color around the border of the iris. I've never seen such amazing eyes._** (A/N: I've met only one person in my life with eyes like this, it's an extremely rare eye-color. I remained seriously stunned at the sight) **_I mean; Percy has amazing eyes, too, with all those beautiful shades of green in them, but this guy… I don't know who had more beautiful eyes._

_"Jack" he said._

_"I'm Percy-"_

_"-Jackson, I know" he interrupted shaking Percy's hand. Percy looked surprised._

_"How do you know?" he asked._

_"You two are world famous. You're the hero and you're the architect of Olympus" he said._

_"Oh, well. Good to know. Anyway" I began "I think it is best if you drop your bag first, then we can show you around. Who's your godly parent?"_

_"I'm your boyfriend's brother" he said._

_"Okay! Buddy, you're freaking me out! How do you know we're together, and how can you be so sure we're brothers?"Percy said._

_"First: you're holding hands" I glanced down at our interlocked hands "Second: My father's Poseidon, and you have his same eyes AND you are famous. Everyone knows who you are!" Jack said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. There was a moment of silence. Then we walked towards the Poseidon cabin. Jack was silent for the whole time, and was walking behind us. Percy and I slowed down our pace and went by his sides._

_"So…Jack…" I began "How old are you?"_

_"18" was his answer_

_"Where are you from?" asked Percy_

_"Arizona"_

_"Have you lived there your whole life?"I asked._

_"No"_

_"You don't talk much, do you?"_

_"No, and I would appreciate if you stopped asking questions" he barked, but was at the same time calm._

_"No need to be so, cranky" I said._

_"No need to be so curious" he said._

_"Says the one who was checking me out, a moment ago"_

_"I wasn't checking you out, I was studying you, plus, you started it!"_

_"I wasn't checking you out, either! Why would I?"_

_"Oh, I don't know… you like cheating on your boyfriend?" That did it._

_"Listen, you-"_

_"Hey, guys! Chill! No need to strangle each other!" Percy said splitting us apart. I didn't even notice that we were nose to nose; me staring up at him in anger, and him towering over me looking at me angrily. Luckily we were close to the Poseidon cabin. _

_"From the trident up there, I suppose that's the cabin" Jack said. _

_"Yeah, I'll show you around" Percy said._

_"No, thank you. I can see a cabin without getting lost by myself" Jack said. He then walked inside the building and closed the door. Percy took a deep breath to send the annoyance away. Too bad it doesn't work for me._

_"I swear, Percy, if he keeps that up, he won't make it till the end of the week!" I said as I was boiling in anger. You should know me by now, I have temper problems._

_"Hey, Wise Girl, take it easy. Don't let some idiot ruin your day" Percy said wrapping his arms around me, rubbing my back, calming me down._

_"But, seriously, if he keeps that up, I'm gonna kill him"_

_"I'm not stopping you"_

_"That would be a bad move" Jack said coming out of the door and walking towards us. WTF? HOW DID HE HEAR US FROM 15 FREAKING METERS? "For you, Annie, I mean" he continued._

_"DO. **NOT**. CALL. ME. ANNIE." I growled._

_"As you wish. But still, if you care about your own health, you shouldn't try to kill me. Trust me, you wouldn't stay on your feet more than 2 minutes…**Annie**" he said and walked away. HOW DARE HE? I was boiling in rage. I could feel my cheeks get hot from anger. What? I'm short fused! Get used to it!_

_"Annabeth, calm down" Percy said rubbing my back soothingly._

_"Who the freaking hell does he think he is?" I whisper/shouted._

_"Jack, a roamer" Jack answered from where he was standing. OKAY? HOW THE HADES CAN HE HEAR US FROM THERE? "Weren't you supposed to show me around?" he asked. I opened my mouth to reply with some rude comment, but immediately closed it as Percy stomp on my foot and gave me a look that clearly said: 'calm down, and let's go'. I glared at him and joined that annoying roamer._

**_End Flashback_**

That's how I met Jack, my husband's brother, a true friend.

* * *

**Jack's POV:**

I had just finished reading Annabeth's e-mail. I was grateful that she always remembered why I had to leave and always wanted to know if I had achieved my mission. I smiled at the nickname and the e-mail's last line. I immediately clicked on the new message icon and started typing, my answer.

_"Hey Annabeth,  
Things here in India are pretty good, and yes, I'm still in India. Wow, 3 years! I broke my 'staying-somewhere' record! Plus, if you always knew where I was, I wouldn't be 'Travel Boy', now, would I?  
I did find something out about my family, but I can't tell you on the e-mail. You know, being an actor and everything… I just don't want to be hacked, remember what happened to that dancer Leon Cino, with Facebook? I will probably write you a letter to tell you. But thanks for being there even from the distance, and yes, that sentence sounds very familiar.  
I'll try to update you with my 'mission' as soon as I can.  
Take care_

_Love_

_ -Jack"_

I clicked on the 'send' icon and sent the e-mail to my best friend. As I was typing, memories flooded back especially at the nickname, because it made me remember when I finally had an identity and when I finally had someone looking at me differently.

**_Flashback_**

_Three weeks had passed since I had first arrived to camp. It didn't take long for the other campers to avoid me. Why shouldn't they? I AM Jack and that's it. A guy who has been traveling his whole life without a home or a destination. But I did have a destination. Find out who I was, where I came from, who was my family.  
It was late in the afternoon, and I was walking around camp. Not caring of the whispers that followed me. How funny! They all thought I couldn't hear them, but I could. Then a voice caught my attention. I knew that voice. I followed it and kept listen to Annabeth's and Percy's conversation._

_"I don't get it! Why are you so indented to find out more about Jack?" Percy asked._

_"Because I can't figure him out! I'm wondering why he is hiding and who is he. You know I hate not knowing!" Annabeth said. Annabeth…she was the only one who tried to talk to me, but we always ended up biting each other's head off._

_"Maybe is better if you leave him alone. I mean, you have seen him. He doesn't want to have anything to do with anybody"_

_"Percy, I don't understand. He's your brother, after all. Aren't you curious to get to know him?"_

_"I am, I really am, but…I don't know…I don't know if I can trust him. How can I do that, if he doesn't trust me either?" I decided it was time to step in._

_"Hello, guys" I said._

_"Hi, Jack" they said in chorus._

_"You know, you should listen to Percy, Annie, and trust me…you don't wanna know me"_

_"That's what I'm talking about! How did you hear me?" she said not even bothering to argue with being called Annie._

_"You should stop trying to find out more about me. I'm don't trust anyone but myself, plus it's annoying. And it's annoying and stupid having you coming back to me, when you know it will end up with us killing each other"_

_"You know, I was having a good day, until you showed up" she said placing a hand on her hip. But I continued._

_"You're either very stupid, or crazy in love with me, but don't worry… you wouldn't be the first broken heart I leave behind me" Annabeth gaped for a moment, then she shook her head._

_"Go fry yourself, Jack!"_

_"As you wish, see you around Percy" I told my brother and walked away making sure I bothered Annabeth._

_"I thought **you** were a pain in the butt, but he beats you" Imagine who said that to who? If your answer is 'Annabeth to Percy' you are correct! I silently smiled. Until I heard a piercing scream. I turned around. Percy and Annabeth must have heard it too, because we immediately ran towards the direction it came from. We found ourselves running in CHB woods. Suddenly we saw something. We saw two figures lying on the ground. As we walked closer, I realized they were two of Percy and Annabeth's friends: Grover and Juniper. They were lying on the ground and had severe wounds. Grover was worse, he had a big gash on his arm and one of his legs, his head had a big wound too and was bleeding. Juniper only had a gash on her stomach, but she was unconscious. Judging on the position they were, I deducted that Juniper must have been thrown on the tree they were lying below. From Grover's wounds I realized he must have been fighting and was thrown on the tree too attempting to save Juniper._

_"Grover! Juniper!" Percy and Annabeth called, freaking out._

_"Oh my Gods" Annabeth breathed as she saw Grover's condition._

_"Look out" Juniper faintly said as she started o wake up. The others didn't hear her. I noticed she looked directly at me. Rumors of my hearing abilities must have spread out. "Kampe…look out" she repeated and fell unconscious again. Suddenly I heard a noise. I immediately put myself on guard._

_"We need to take them to the infirmary, now" Percy said as he was about to lift up Grover._

_"Jack, what's the matter?" Annabeth asked as she noticed my tensing up._

_"We're not alone" I said. I heard another noise and turned around, but saw nothing._

_"Nothing's there, Jack" Percy said._

_"Get on guard, a monster is here. I can hear it" I repeated. Another noise and I turned around again. Then it hit me. Kampe wanted to take us by surprise, that's why she wasn't attacking while I was turning towards where I heard the sound coming from. "Guys, take Grover and Juniper and start walking but face the direction I'm facing" I said. They nodded and did as I told them. We started walking out of the woods, but then I heard another sound, Percy and Annabeth must have heard it too. It was getting impatient. I instantly knew Kampe was going to attack. I gave Annabeth a look, and she gave me a look in response that clearly said: 'Kampe is going to attack'. I heard another impatient sound._

_"Annabeth, give me your dagger" I said. She hesitated for a moment, while she and Percy were carrying Grover and Juniper. Another noise. "Annabeth, the dagger!" Another noise. "Annabeth! You wanna live? GIVE ME YOUR DAGGER!" I shouted. Annabeth immediately took out her dagger and tossed it to me. In that moment Kampe launched towards us, but I instantly caught the dagger and threw it with all my strength towards the monster, hitting it in the shape-shifting belt. Kampe fell on the ground roaring with a screeching sound. My ears were about to pop, even if I clasped my hands on it. That's when Percy threw Riptide and hit it on the arm. Kampe stopped screeching, but it looked even angrier. She took Annabeth's dagger out of the belt and threw it at me. I used my sword to parry it in a way the dagger would get in my hand. I instantly tossed Annabeth the dagger back and yelled them to run. Percy's sword was already back in his hand, and I could see he wanted to fight with me, but he did as I said and started carrying Grover out of the woods, Annabeth followed with Juniper. I stood on my ground and started fighting. Kampe swung one of her swords, but I ducked and it missed, then it swung the other, I rolled on the ground dodging it and slashed one of the snakes at her feet as I got up. Kampe roared, then it started attacking me with a rage on strikes. I was parrying all of them, but I was growing tired. Then a sword hit me in the face. Luckily for me I moved, or it would have cut my head off. I felt blood oozing out of my temple. It hurt and stung really bad, my left eye was barely open…poison. I couldn't let myself pass out though. Kampe raised her sword, but before it could be hit again, a rock flew in the air, hitting her in the head._

_"Hey! We still have an open match!" Annabeth shouted. Kampe roared and attacked her. Then out of nowhere, Percy came out and slashed another snake. Then the monster tried to attack them, but I charged and hit the belt again, and it stopped shape-shifting. Kampe roared a screeching sound that made us cover our ears. I couldn't bare it! None of us could. Then it hit the three of us sending us on a tree. Percy didn't move because of the curse of Achilles, but Annabeth and I did. We flew onto a tree slamming our backs. I noticed Kampe fighting with Percy. I looked on the ground, and saw Annabeth's dagger. Before she could get up and get it back, I grabbed it and ran towards the monster. I blocked a blow directed towards Percy, attracting the monster's attention. Kampe began a series of attacks; I parried the first and blocked the second, on the third, I got one sword out of the monster's hand, as it hit me again, I parried and turned around grinding the swords together, then I pushed away Kampe's weapon, I turned around, and before it could strike, I threw Annabeth's dagger at it, using all my strength and hit the monster in the middle of its forehead sending it into a ball of dust. There was a moment of silence. Percy then came to me and patted my shoulder._

_"Nice job! You're good at fighting!" he complimented. Annabeth joined us a minute later after she got her dagger again._

_"You like using my dagger, don't you?" she said jokingly. I was about to grin, when the pain in my temple became unbearable. My vision started to get blurry, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the infirmary._

_I looked around the room. I saw a glass of water and tried to reach it, but I couldn't, it was too far away. Then someone took it and passed it to me. I followed the arm, until I met a pair of familiar sky blue eyes…Annabeth.**(A/N: before you begin to think: 'WHAT THE HECK? Annabeth has grey eyes and blond hair' I know it! But in my stories, Annabeth is movie verse)**_

_"Glad you're awake" she said passing me the water._

_"Thanks" I said in a very hoarse voice. I drank the water, and my throat immediately felt better. "How long was I out?"_

_"A couple of hours. The poison almost got to your brain, you're lucky you can still see with your left eye" I lifted my hand and touched my temple and felt something… stitches. I followed the line and realized my stitches went from my temple to my eyebrow. 'That's gonna leave a scar' I thought._

_"How are Grover and Juniper?" I asked._

_"Why are you interested in them?" she retorted with a smirk._

_"Just answer!" I said annoyed. She smiled._

_"They're fine. Grover will be out of the infirmary soon, Juniper is already out"_

_"Where's my brother? How is he? How are you?" I asked, surprised I used the term 'brother' and how concerned I sounded._

_"Percy's fine. He's either still telling Chiron what happened, or he got back to training. I'm fine and I volunteered to stay here with you"_

_"You don't have to"_

_"I know"_

_"No, you don't know. You don't have to behave like you like me. I know we're not exactly 'simpatico'. Plus, I'm used to being on my own, I don't need a babysitter"_

_"Will you stop being an ass for once? I can see you are not like that!"_

_"Oh, really? How?"_

_"From how you threw yourself where danger was, without thinking twice, from how you stayed behind fighting, so that Percy and I could take our friends in here, from how you blocked that blow on Percy, and from how you asked how we all were, as soon as you woke up. Cut out the jerk act, because it's not working with me anymore" I remained silent. She was right. "Knight" she said after a moment of silence._

_"What?"_

_"Knight. That will be your last name"_

_"Why?"_

_"Because of how you fight. You look like a medieval knight. The way you swing your sword, how you stay on guard, it reminds me of a knight" I thought for a moment._

_"Knight…Jack Knight… sounds good. I like it"_

_"Good! 'Cause it will be your last name from now on!" For the first time I smiled._

**_End Flashback_**

For the first time, I had an identity. For the first time, I had a friend.

Annabeth's POV:

"Okay, push on the count of three" I told my friends "One…two…THREE!" And we started pushing, but the cupboard wouldn't move. "Push!" I ordered.

"We _are_ pushing!" Clarisse shouted.

"Push harder!" Then the cupboard fell, but we all caught it just in time.

"Couldn't you get a smaller cupboard for your office?" Thalia complained.

"Stop complaining, Thalia, and help us get it back up straight…SILENA!" I shouted as I saw my friend polishing her nails.

"What?" she innocently said, taking her eyes off her nails.

"Get your lazy butt off my desk and COME HELP US!" I said.

"But I'm going to ruin my manicure!" she whined

"Who cares?" Thalia said.

"I do!"

"We don't!" Lily butted in.

"Easy for you to say! You don't have a husband to impress!"

"Actually, I will in three months!"

"What?" they said leaving the heavy object.

"THE CUPBOARD!" I yelled as they left it to me and Lily. The girls immediately rushed back to us and helped us before the thing could squash us.

"You're getting married, and didn't tell us?" I said.

"Sorry, but Josh proposed Saturday, and it was two days ago. I didn't get the chance" she explained. Then we finally managed to push the cupboard back up as my phone rang.

"Hello?" I said still catching my breath.

"Hey Annabeth! Wait…why does it sound like you've been running a marathon?"

"The girls and I have been pushing a cupboard, and Lily and I almost got squashed, because _someone…" _I said glaring at Lily who answered with an innocent smile "…decided to announce her soon to be marriage while we were pushing the thing back up straight"

"Ahh…I see. Congratulate Lily for me"

"How do you know it was her?"

"You said that you and Lily almost got squashed, I suppose that the others jumped in surprise, while you managed to contain yourself, as usual. That makes me think it was Lily breaking the news"

"You are a monster, Jack. You know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment. I wanted to tell you something but right now I have to go back to the interview I was having, sorry. I'll tell you another time"

"That's okay. Oh, and if the interviewer is a woman, don't checking her out. I know you always do that! It's very unprofessional"

"Too late, I already did that."

"Jack!"

"Bye, Anna!"

"Don't you dare cut the line, Knight!"

"Sorry, gotta go! Love you!" and he hung up. Put my phone back in my pocket, as I shook my head slightly. Then I noticed Lily staring at me. "What?" I asked.

"You were talking to _Jack Knight_? _THE _Jack Knight?" she asked with her eyes wide open "The actor who is now world famous, and keeps traveling around the world, who has played the main roles in '_Ark Angel_', '_Speed Test_', '_I searched for your name'_, '_Follow your heart_', '_The Prince and I_' and has now done that movie in Bollywood called '_Road to Redemption_'-".

"-and is my best friend? Yeah, that was him" I said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?" Lily thundered. The others were laughing their butts off

"And that's not it! They used to date!" said Silena.

"Who used to date who?" Skyla asked walking in. Skyla is my new assistant since Lily is one of the architects, now. She is 36, two years younger than me, (I'm so old!). She is almost as tall as me and has shoulder length light brown wavy hair and bright green eyes. She is a bit stout, but not too much, but still, her cheeks were kind of chubby. You could say that she could remind you of a teddy-bear, but not in a bad way, she had a pretty face.

"ANNABETH ALEXANDRA CHASE JACKSON, over here, was _JACK _FREAKING _KNIGHT'S GIRLFRIEND_!" Lily shouted. Skyla looked at me then back at Lily, then back to me, then back to Lily, then back to me.

"Who's Jack Knight?" was her answer. We all burst out laughing at Lily's face. She looked at Skyla like if she had just seen a dinosaur baking cookies. It was hilarious!

"_JACK KNIGHT_ IS THE SEXYEST MAN ON THE PLANET! He played 'Prince Daniel' in '_The Prince and I_' or 'Devin Highs' in '_I searched for your name_', or I don't know! 'Malik' in '_Road to Redemption'_! You pick it!" **(A/N: These movies do not exist! I made them up, except for 'I searched for your name' and 'Followe your heart' which are the italian translations for 'The Lucky one' and 'Charlie ' I know, stupid, right?)**

"Oh, yeah! I heard of him!" Then she looked at me "Nice one, Annabeth! He's quiet cute!"

"_CUTE_?" Lily shouted, like if it was an offence to the Pope "_Cute _is an understatement, Skyla! I would rather say-"

"_Freaking smokin' hot_?" Thalia suggested.

"Exactly!" Lily said. Then, we all stared at Thalia, because of her comment.

"What? Just because I can't date doesn't mean I can't say if a guy is hot or not!"

"He's your cous-" I cut myself off. "Whatever" We rolled our eyes and got back to Lily.

"Anyway…yes! He's _freaking smokin' hot_! Have you seen those biceps? Those shoulders? And what a perfect V shape his body is? When will they make him take that freaking shirt off, in a movie? Life is so unfair! I bet he has a fifty-pack!"

"Now, a _fifty-pack_!" I butted in "Don't exaggerate! He always used to have an eight-pack" Lily's head snapped towards me.

"How do you know _that_?" she said pointing a finger to me accusingly.

"Last time I checked, she _accidentally_ ran into him while he was only wearing a _towel _around his waist" Thalia said putting emphasis in 'accidentally' and 'towel'. Lily stared at me with an 'O' shaped mouth hanging open.

"That was- what? 20 years ago?_ AND_ it was an accident!" I said in defense.

"Sure it was!" Clarisse teased.

"It was! Plus, I was already dating Percy at the time!" I said.

"Yeah, and it almost costed her, her relationship! Remember?" Silena said in my defense. _Who could forget that?_

"Tell us ALL the details. AND… I want a nice description of his abs" Lily ordered. _No one has noticed Lily is a huge fan, right? Note the sarcasm._

"Well…" I started.

**_Flashback_**

_I was walking towards the Poseidon cabin. I wanted to call Percy and spend some time together, and maybe get him to **actually** ask me to the fireworks. As I walked to the cabin, I knocked on the door, but got no answer. I knocked again but nothing. I turned the doorknob, and found it open. Typical Seaweed Brain. I was sure Jack wasn't in there because he would have heard me and because he usually was out of the cabin. I got into the cabin, and noticed that it was much less messy since Jack arrived._

_"Percy!" I called, but no answer. "Percy!" I called again, nothing. I thought he was in the lake swimming, so I went out passing in front of the bathroom and went to the small docks. "Percy! Are you down there?" I called, but no one came on the surface. I understood he still wasn't there so I started pacing back inside, taking a look at the beautiful lake. I didn't even notice that the bathroom door had opened right behind me. I turned around to walk back inside, and… BOOM! _

_"What the-!" I and the person I had slammed into exclaimed. I immediately found myself on the floor with someone wet on me. I looked up and met a pair of familiar stunning crystal blue eyes. I realized just then that Jack had just come out of the bathroom and was only in a towel._

_"OH MY GODS!" Jack and I yelled._

_"Why are you half-naked?" I yelled pushing him off._

_"Why are you even in here?" he yelled getting off me and gripping his hand even tighter on the towel, which miraculously didn't fell, around his waist._

_"What the Hades is wrong with you?" he yelled._

_"ME?"_

_"Yes! YOU!"_

_"I was here!"_

_"And you didn't hear me showering?"_

_"I was on the docks- how couldn't **you** hear me?"_

_"What?"_

_"I've been calling Percy several times! With your 'super hearing' you should have heard me"_

_"Like I said, I was showering"_

_"Yo, Jack! Have you seen Anna- WHAT THE HADES IS GOING ON HERE?" Percy thundered as he entered the cabin. I didn't understand why he sounded so angry. I looked at Jack; he was wet and only in a towel. I admit, I wasn't complaining at the sight. Jack had a nice eight-pack, but it didn't look like the work out eight-pack you get. More like a dancer's or someone who does sports that require an exchange of oxygen in the muscle. Like Percy, only that Percy worked out during the winter to keep in shape when he was not at camp. Jack was nothing I haven't seen before, but still I wasn't complaining about the sight. **NO! Bad Annabeth! This is not the time!** I looked at myself and noticed my shirt got a bit wet when we crashed on the other, then realization came to us._

_"Percy! It's not what it looks like!" Jack and I said in chorus._

_"Do you mind to explain to me then?" he said crossing his arms above his chest._

_"I came here looking for you, I went to the docks to see if you were in the lake, I didn't notice Jack getting out of the bathroom and he ran into me when I was getting back inside"_

_"Actually **you **ran into **me**" Jack corrected._

_"Doesn't matter. We still crashed against the other" I said. Percy looked suspicious. He looked at me then he glared at Jack._

_"Why are you only in a towel?" he demanded glaring at his brother._

_"I was showering" Jack answered._

_"Why were you showering?"_

_"I stunk"_

_"Why did you stink?"_

_"I was sweaty"_

_"Why were you sweaty?"_

_"Do you also wanna know how many times I go to the toilet?"_

_"Jack!" I shouted. He looked at me and rolled his eyes._

_"I had just come back from training, I was sweaty and stinky, I wanted to take a shower, I took a shower, got out and your girlfriend ran into me, end of story" Then Percy looked back at me._

_"Why are you even in here?"_

_"I was looking for you to spend some time with you" Percy didn't look very convinced though._

_"Okay, if you guys need to sort things out, do it outside. I'd like some privacy to get changed" Jack said. Percy and I didn't say anything and got out of the cabin. Percy remained silent. I was beginning to panic, why wasn't he saying anything?_

_"Percy, I wasn't cheating on you! I swear!"_

_"I know" That left me dumbstruck for a moment._

_"Then why are you angry?"_

_"I'm not angry! I'm still kind of shocked, I mean. I saw my girlfriend standing next to my **half-naked **brother, I sort of freaked out"_

_"So, you don't trust me?"_

_"No! It's him I don't trust, not you. I know you wouldn't cheat on me" I smiled at him and ran a hand through his hair. Percy smiled back and leaned down to kiss me. As we pulled away, he took my hand, and we started walking around CHB and just hanging out._

**_End Flashback_**

"…and that's pretty much what happened" I told my friends.

"He. Is. Hot." _Guess who said that? Lily? Yes, it was her._

"I'm asking myself, why do you like him that much?" Skyla asked Lily "He's like 13 years older than you!"

"Who cares? He's hot!" Lily said.

"Are you sure Josh is okay, with that?" I asked her.

"Oh, he doesn't care"

"But, anyway, why would you go see his movies because he's good-looking? I think he's a great actor, that's why I go see his movies" Skyla said.

"Oh, come on, Sky! You don't go watching his moves just because of that. I believe Annabeth doesn't go see his movies just because he's her best friend, either! Right, Annabeth?" Lily asked me

"Well… yeah, also because he's great at acting" I answered. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Be honest, why do you also go see his movies?" I crossed my arms above my chest giving them the message. I wasn't going to say anything.

"We swear on the river Styx we won't tell Percy" Silena said.

"No"

"Please?" Lily said with puppy dog eyes. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright! Fine. He's gorgeous, he's hot! I don't go see his movies just because I'm like _'he's such a fantastic actor' _like: I think he's hot! So I'm gonna see his movie! I'm gonna say with complete confidence that if it wouldn't be creepy because he's a friend: I _would _have posters on my wall"

"There! Was it so hard?" Clarisse asked smiling. "Who agrees with her?"

"I do!- I do! – I absolutely do!- HE'S SO HOT!" Thalia, Skyla, Silena and Lily (_You would have never guessed, right?) _said in chorus.

* * *

A couple of days after that talk with the girls, I went back home to my new apartment. We still had to put some boxes but, other than that, the house was fine. It had a family room, a kitchen, one bedroom with a bathroom, which was mine and Percy's, three other bedrooms, one for Annabelle, one for Leon and one for Angel, a guest room and a bathroom, the best part was that the house had a big, nice, terrace. Pegasus, our cat, already loves the new house. He hadn't lost a second to find the perfect spot, where he wanted his basket to be. As I got back home, as part of my routine, I checked the mail to see if we had any bills to pay, but found only a letter. I took it and walked up the stairs to the apartment. I opened the door and walked inside, immediately welcomed by Pegasus, who purred as he snuggled against my shin. "I'm home!" I called as I scratched the cat's head.

"Mommy!" Angel greeted as she ran towards me.

"Hey, Angie! How's my little girl?" I said smiling as I picked her up and hugged her.

"I'm fine"

"Where's daddy?" I asked her.

"Daddy is in the kwitchen" she said. I kissed the top of her head and put her back down. I put down my bag and went into the kitchen, still holding the letter. Percy knew I kept in touch with Jack; I didn't need to hide it. I saw he was very intent in preparing something. He turned around and saw me. A shiny smile came on his face.

"Hey, there!" he greeted as he cleaned his hands; I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist and kissed my cheek. "So, how did it go at the office today?" Percy asked keeping his arms around me.

"Fine, I guess" I answered.

"Did Lily still torture you with how hot my brother is, again?"

"Sort of. Luckily, Skyla was her victim"

"Poor, Sky" he chuckled. I smiled and leaned up to give him a kiss. Then I remembered the letter.

"Oh, we got mail" I said pulling away. Percy didn't complain, he just got back to cooking as I read who the letter was from. 

_To: Mrs. Annabeth Jackson Manhattan (NY, USA)  
From: Mr. Jack Knight, Bollywood, India_

"Actually, _I_ got mail" I corrected myself.

"No Netflix movie, yet?" Percy pouted. I shook my head.

"Nope" I said opening the letter. I took it out and read it. A huge smile crept on my face. I folded the letter and put it in my pocket. Percy was cooking fish, for dinner. I walked behind him and slid my arms around his waist resting my head on the back of his shoulder.

"Percy…" I called.

"Yup?"

"…how long haven't you seen your brother?" I asked.

"Who? Tyson or Jack?" Percy sighed

"Jack"

"20 years" a hint of sadness was in his voice. Even if Percy has always been the tiniest bit jealous, mainly because of my mother and how others kept comparing them, and it was something both brothers hated. It looked like a competition between the hero of Olympus and the super intelligent guy with more developed hearing, but it wasn't fair. They both knew that, and didn't like it. They have always been afraid of it becoming an obstacle to their brotherly relationship.

"Would you like to see him again?" I asked.

"I know that tone. You're up to something. Why are you asking me this?" he asked turning around and wrapping his arms around me, again.

"Just answer the question, please" I said with face annoyance.

"Yeah. I'd like to see him again. I'd like Annabelle and Angel to meet their uncle…I'd like you to see your buddy again" I smile crept on my face, but a thought popped in my head. _I'll have to tell Percy that Jack and I **have** dated, sooner or later._

"The letter I just received was from Jack"

"Really? What did it say?"

"James Cameron casted him for his new movie: 'The Warrior Within'…"

"And?" I heard a hint of hope in Percy's voice. He was hoping to see his brother again. Well, I was about to give him the news, anyway.

"He's coming back to New York"

* * *

**So? How was it? I hope you liked chapter 1! What do you think about this Jack guy? Don't forget Skyla, she will be important for this story!  
Review and tell me what do you think! ;-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Percy's POV:**

I was standing at the airport waiting for my brother to come down the plane. Annabeth and I had a little argument, yesterday, about picking Jack up together, or just me. Of course, Annabeth wanted to come, but she had a meeting today, so I told her I would go by myself, she insisted that she would have postponed the meeting, but, no. It was important, she couldn't miss it, and postponing, wouldn't make a good impression. So I managed to make her agree, that it would be just me going. Leon and Annabelle would have stayed home to babysit Angel. I kept wondering what happened to him. Will I be able to recognize him? _Stupid! Of course you will! You saw 'Follow your heart' with Annabeth!_ The thing is, will _he _recognize _me? _I haven't seen him since I was 18. To tell you the truth, I have never been very close to my brother, but I did miss him. I missed my cocky, annoying, super intelligent brother who would patiently help me with my college homework when even Annabeth couldn't help me. Or the pranks we would play on Annabeth at times, or the pranks he would pull on me, or Annabeth, or my girlfriend and I would pull on him. Yeah… after he started to open up to Annabeth, we also became friends, and he slowly…_very slowly…_ became very friendly to everyone. A lot of things have happened in the last two summers I had spent at CHB. That's when we found out he had a tendency to be a prankster. I remember a prank we played on Annabeth like if it were yesterday…

**_Flashback_**

_It was almost time to leave Camp. Jack was gonna stay there, while Annabeth and I would leave for the year. I was waiting for Annabeth to join me at waiting for my mom, since she would drop off Annabeth at her school's dorms. I was sitting at the top of Half-Blood Hill, lying on the grass, staring at the sky. I closed my eyes, enjoying the silence and the late summer breeze._

_"Does your girlfriend usually pull pranks on you?" A voice asked._

_"No, why?" I answered._

_"She threw a bucket of flour and eggs on my head, yesterday" Jack said._

_"What did you do to her?" I asked him puzzled. Pulling pranks is very un-Annabeth. Jack sat down next to me._

_"Nothing. She said it was revenge for the many times I ticked her off this summer"_

_"Well, she isn't completely wrong, you are kind of annoying and cocky at times…what do you want me to do?" I asked. I already knew he wanted revenge._

_"You'll understand when I start the prank. Deal?"_

_"Deal" I said and we shook hands. In that moment, I saw my mom coming our way. She stopped the car right at the bottom of the hill. Paul was with her too, because when the car stopped, they both came out. Jack and I got up and I said good-bye to my brother giving him a manly hug. I walked down the hill and said hello to my mom and step-dad with a hug._

_"Where's Annabeth?" mom asked._

_"She's coming. I think she's hiding from Jack because she pulled a prank on him, yesterday"_

_"Why?"_

_"Let's just say, that he has the ability to get on people's nerves…especially hers"_

_"Ah…I see" Right on cue, Annabeth appeared on the hill, and froze instantly as she saw my brother. Jack flashed her a shiny smile and opened his arms. Annabeth told him something, but as he answered her, she went and hugged him. I felt a small tickle-like feeling in my guts, it was jealousy, but I learnt to ignore it. Jack was harmless. _

_"Who's that?" mom asked._

_"That's Jack, my half-brother"_

_"Another, son of Poseidon?" Paul asked._

_"Yeah, my older brother by a year"_

_"I thought Annabeth didn't like him much"_

_"No, it's thanks to her if he became very friendly"_

_"Why? How was he, before?"_

_"Very anti-social and angry" I looked back at Annabeth and Jack. They were still hugging and Jack leaned down and kissed her cheek._

_"Percy, don't you think you should call her?" Paul suggested. I knew he was thinking I was letting my brother flirt with my girlfriend._

_"No. Let them say good-bye"_

_"I'm surprised! You're supposed to be I don't know… jealous? To see your half-brother hugging and kissing your girlfriend's cheek?"_

_"No" I said shaking my head "They're just very good friends" I looked back towards Jack and Annabeth and saw them saying something. Then Annabeth opened her arms and that's when Jack threw her on his shoulder._

_"PUT ME DOWN, KNIGHT!" Annabeth screamed "PERCY!" she called. I heard mom and Paul laughing behind me. I ran up the hill and looked at them: Jack fooling around, and Annabeth struggling to get out of his grip._

_"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! HELP ME!" she said._

_"Why? You look gorgeous, like this" I said smirking._

_"You little traitor!" she playfully growled._

_"Hey Perce, wanna throw her into the lake?"_

_"Sure!"_

_"NO!" Annabeth yelled as Jack passed me her upper half so that I was holding her arms and he was holding her legs. "I SWEAR, BOYS, PUT ME DOWN OR I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!"_

_"On the count of three!" Jack said as we arrived near the lake._

_"1…2…3!" he shouted and we threw Annabeth in the water. She came out gasping for air. Jack and I were laughing out butts off._

_"You two are SO going to pay for that! Especially you, Perseus! You little backstabbing, traitor!" she shouted as she swam back to shore._

_"I love you too" I answered grinning, while my brother was still laughing. I looked at him and fist-bumped him._

_"Nice job, bro!" Jack said._

_"Now you got your revenge, Jay"_

**_End Flashback_**

Maybe what I'm about to say will sound totally stupid, but I miss the tickling feeling in my stomach whenever Jack would get near Annabeth. Maybe it was for the constant competition others put between us: I was a hero, he was a roamer, I fought a war, he didn't participate, he was a genius, and I was- well… a Seaweed Brain …we hated this competition: '_to see who was the strongest son of Poseidon_' likesome campers and gods used to say. I was knocked out of my thoughts, when I saw a tall man with wavy jet-black hair coming my way. He was wearing black shoes and jeans, a dark blue button-up shirt and a black jacket. He was carrying two suitcases on a cart and a strap bag on his shoulder. I saw the man reaching his hand out and that's when I noticed a little boy, around 8 or 9 years old, following him as he grabbed his hand. I could clearly see the boy was Indian; his skin was darker than the man's already tan skin, he had black hair and very dark brown eyes, almost black. The man had sunglasses on, so I couldn't see his eyes, but like if he had read my mind, the man took his sunglasses off. There I saw (no matter how gay this statement might sound- not that I have anything against gays!) a familiar pair of stunning crystal blue eyes. A smile crept on my face. There was my brother Jack. After 20 years he was less then 20m away from me. Jack met my gaze and almost immediately smiled back. I walked to him as he and the boy walked towards me. As we were in front of each other, I put a serious face on.

"Smart-butt" I greeted him.

"Show-off" he replied….just like old times. I immediately gave him a tight manly hug. I missed my brother.

"20 years, hu? Wow! Last time I saw you, you were 19 and I see you now at sure don't look 40!" I said

"40 my foot, Perseus. I'm 39, but thanks for the compliment" Jack said jokingly "You haven't aged much either!"

"If _I_ haven't aged, it's because you haven't seen Annabeth" I said

"Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She had an important meeting and I _forced_ her not to postpone it" Jack laughed. Then he pushed between us the little boy that was following him, holding him gently by the shoulders.

"Percy, I wanted you to meet Jamal, my son" I looked at him in surprise. I didn't think he might have gotten married. I looked at his left hand and noticed he had no wed-ring on his ring finger. "We met on one of my charity trips to the orphanage and…it was love at first sight. It took three years but now it's official! Percy, meet my son, your nephew, Jamal Lalit Knight. Jamal, this is your uncle Percy" Jack said. I could feel how proud he was of his adoptive son in his voice. I smiled at him.

"Hey Jamal" I said. The boy just waved shyly with a small smile.

"He's very timid and not used to this" he said pointing to the environment. "It's his first trip"

"It's okay, I have kids, too"

"Two daughters and one step-son"

"How do you…Annabeth"

"Yup" I shook my head, holding back a smile.

"Come on, let's go, before any of your fans or the paps notice you" I said grabbing the cart, as Jack took Jamal's hand and we walked out of the airport.

* * *

**Annabeth's POV:**

I was about to finish the meeting. Percy should have picked up Jack by now. I was still explaining how I intended to do the project for the new building.

"They didn't lie to us when they said Viper Enterprises underestimated you, Mrs. Jackson. No wonder why Mr. Raffaello Tramagliani noticed you. The project is perfect!" Mr. Wilson said.

"Thank you, Mr. Wilson" I said smiling.

"When will you be able to come to the building site? Our teams will start working this Wednesday" Mr. Grant said

"I'll come next week to check how it is going. Is it okay, Friday 18th at noon? We can discuss it during lunch time"

"Perfect! It's going to be great working with you Mrs. Jackson" said Mr. Wilson shaking my hand

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Wilson"

"I bet the building will come out wonderfully" Said Mr. Grant also shaking my hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Grant" I said and accompanied them to the door. I just stood there for a moment and then looked at Skyla, who was with me for the whole time. She smiled me and gave me a bear hug containing herself not to squeal, like I was trying not to do.

"That was amazing! You did it!" she said.

"_We_ did Sky. If you hadn't given me that advice I probably wouldn't have done it"

"Okay, they should send us the contract tomorrow"

"Perfect" I said as we got out of the meeting room. "You should go take a break now" I told her

"Hey, Anna" A familiar voice said. I turned around and saw a tall man with wavy jet-black hair. He took off his sunglasses revealing his amazing crystal blue eyes. "Missed me?" he said smiling.

"Jack! You're here!" I said smiling widely.

"So? You're gonna give me a hug or what?" he said opening his arms. I went to him and hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. He hugged me as tight. It was good to see him again. It has been 12 years I haven't hugged him. We pulled away but kept our arms around the other. We smiled to each other then he kissed my cheek and pulled me for another hug. It was good to have him back again.

"Oh-my-God" someone said. Jack and I pulled away and noticed Lily standing by the door with her mouth on the floor holding herself up with the door frame. "Y-y-you're- y-you're…"she stuttered.

"Jack, meet Lily my co-worker. Lily, meet Jack, my best friend" I said

"Oh, so this is Lily" Jack said. "Congratulations for your engagement" he said smiling.

"H-how- d-d-do yo-" _Yes, the stuttering one was her._

"He guessed it when we were talking on the phone right after I told him we were pushing a cupboard" I said.

"Oh, great…uhm…I'M A HUGE FAN OF YOURS! YOU'RE AWESOME!" she shouted.

"Last time I re-call you thought he was hot" I butted-in smirking. Lily glared at me.

"So do you!"

"THALIA!" I scolded. Jack turned around and saw Thalia. He smiled. Thalia walked to us and wrapped her arms around her cousin kissing his cheek. Jack hugged her back tightly.

"How are you doing, Thals?" he asked.

"Wonderfully! How are-"

"JAAAACK!" Silena squealed as she came out of her office running towards him. Jack had turned around just in time before she leaped in his arms hugging him. We all laughed except for Lily who was looking at us wide eyed.

"Hey, Silena! How are you?" he asked her as he put her back down.

"Great! I missed you!" she said and kissed his cheek.

"Hello, punk" Clarisse said coming into the room.

"Nice as always, eh Clarisse?" Jack said with a smile on his face.

"Hey! I am nice, you know?" she pouted walking towards him. Jack stuck out his hand to Clarisse, not knowing how she would react. Clarisse shook her head and hugged him. Jack smiled a bit and hugged her back tightly. Then Clarisse did a very un-Clarisse thing, like she did two years ago with Percy, she kissed his cheek. Jack's eyes widen and he lifted his fist up in victory, keeping an arm around Clarisse.

"Oh, my Gods! This must be a dream! Clarisse La Rue just kissed me!" he yelled smiling like an idiot. We all laughed. Clarisse chuckled but then smacked his chest getting out of his grip.

"And that will be the last kiss you'll ever get from me"

"I don't think so" Jack said looking at Clarisse smirking. She immediately panicked.

"NO! Jack! Don't look at me that way! HELP!" but before she could run off, Jack had already grabbed her from behind and kissed her cheek repeatedly. Thalia, Silena, Skyla and I were laughing our butts off. That scene was hilarious: a daughter of Ares calling for help. Clarisse was struggling to get out of his grip while he kissed her cheek. Daughter of Ares or not, Jack was stronger.

"Give me a kiss" Jack said as he stopped kissing her cheek.

"No!" Clarisse complained.

"Give me a kiss" he repeated offering his cheek.

"Fine!" Clarisse said and kissed his cheek, then Jack finally let her go.

"I've just been kissed twice by Clarisse and by all these lovely ladies! Wohooo! This must be my lucky day" he said putting an arm around my shoulders with a cocky grin.

"Don't let that get to your head, Travel Boy" I said. That's when Skyla cleared her throat.

"Oh, right! Jack, meet Skyla, my new assistant. Skyla, meet Jack, my best friend" I introduced.

"It's so nice to meet you" Skyla said politely shaking his hand smiling. Jack smiled at her.

"The pleasure is all mine" he said.

"Well, break time is over, we need to get back to work" I said.

"Yes, boss" the girls said and got back to their duties. As I got back to my office, Jack followed me inside closing the door and leaning on it.

"So, how was your flight?" I asked putting some papers back in order.

"Good. Jamal was totally excited. He couldn't sit still in his seat! I think he's ADHD, like us" he answered.

"Who's Jamal?" I asked puzzled. I could feel him smiling behind me.

"My son" I turned around with a huge smile on my face.

"You're a _dad_?"

"Strange but true. It took three years, but in the end, the orphanage let me adopt him"

"Oh, so that's why you never told me about any marriage- wait-" I said putting pieces together "That's why you stayed in India for 3 years! You were waiting for the orphanage to let you take Jamal in"

"Yup!" he said with a proud smile. Then he walked over to me and gave me a friendly hug. As we pulled away, I got back to putting papers back in order. "Percy was right! You haven't aged much!"

"Oh, shut up! You haven't aged at all! My son's girl classmates are huge fans of yours. Your _niece_ is a huge fan of yours. Let's not mention Lily!"

"And what about you?" he said raising an eyebrow. I replied with an innocent smile.

"I couldn't care _less_"

"Oh, come on! You're hurting my feelings!" he said, then tears started to form in his eyes "I came here to find you! And I did it because I want to spend with you as much time as I can because I love you! Don't ask me to explain to you this feeling feel that made me come back because: how can I explain something that even I don't understand? " I looked at him with my eyes wide in shock. As he saw my expression, the tears in his eyes disappeared and he pulled his serious face back on. "I'm reciting '_I searched for your name_', dork" As an answer I punched his rock hard chest.

"First, don't you dare 'dork' me, and second, you just gave me a heart attack, and wipe those tears, please" I said. He chuckled drying his eyes. "You really are a decent actor" I said.

"_Decent?_"

"Good"

"_Good?_"

"Very good"

"_Very good?_"

"I'm not gonna go 'super-fan' on you. It's a matter of dignity"

"As wish Miss Don't- Flirt–With–The-Interview–Lady–Because–It's–Unprofessional"

"It's true, you know that!"

"You do know they pay me to check them out, right?"

"WHAT? REALLY?"

"No, I was kidding" I rolled my eyes.

"Dork" I said.

"Nerd" He replied.

"Loser"

"Wimp"

"Loafer"

"Stupid"

"Butthole"

"Whor-"

"Hey!"

"Sorry! Daughter of a who-"

"HEY!"

"_Granddaughter _of a-"

"HEY!"

"Babies are you done throwing insults at each other?" Skyla said as her head popped out of the door.

"Yes, mom!" Jack and I said in chorus. Skyla shook her head rolling her eyes, but she was smiling. She then gave me a contract I had to sign and left as I did what I was asked. I looked at the clock and noticed it was almost time to go home, but I had to talk to Jack about a serious thing while we were alone.

"I guess it's about time to go home" Jack said, looking at the clock.

"Yeah…about that…we need to talk" I said

"We've talked quite a lot now" he said with a grin. I shot him a look he quickly understood. "Oh, sorry. You were serious"

"Percy doesn't know" I told him. Jack sighed.

"I know. He was kind of too happy to see me. No one would be very pleased to meet his brother knowing he is his wife's ex"

"Yeah…"

"When are you planning to tell him?"

"I seriously don't know. But I don't even know _how_ to tell him" Jack wrapped his arms around me in a comforting way.

"As for _when_…I don't know. But as for _how _just be natural, be casual. There's nothing to be afraid of" I looked up at him.

"You sure?"

"Positive. Percy is too nice…although it is still hard for me to say it: I'm happy you married him" I smiled.

"Thank you"

"But STILL. Why him and not me? I'm as much as awesome as him!" he said with a cocky grin. I rolled my eyes getting out of the hug.

"Because you're too handsome, you're too smart, you're too artist, you're too everything. You make me uncomfortable at times. Plus, it's not like we broke up because it wasn't working! We've been through a lot together, not as much as Percy, but you were with me as a best friend when Percy left, and you were there in an important moment of my life" Jack smiled and smirked.

"When you and Percy broke up, you were just like Bella Swan…at least you didn't jump off a cliff"

"Oh, shut up!"

"Seriously, you were worse than a super love-struck Aphrodite girl!"

"I said: Shut up!"

"I remember when I came back from the trip and came to see you, I asked how Percy was and as an answer you started crying a river" I smacked his head with the papers I had in my hands.

"SHUT UP! I was going through a phase" I said trying to smack his head again. Jack simply laughed but then his face was serious but a small smile was on his lips.

"I know…"

**_Flashback_**

_It's been two weeks since Percy left me and Camp. I was 18 and as soon as autumn came, I was going to college. The thing is I had sent my application to Stanford, NYU, Marymount Manhattan College, and Harvard, the problem was I got accepted by all of them and I didn't know which one to choose…or at least that was what I thought.  
At the moment I was reviewing all the University's study programs. They were all very good, but none of them caught my interest, except for Stanford's, but as soon as I read it again, I was bored out of my mind. I suddenly heard a knock on my door. I got off my bed and went to open it. Jack was standing there with his signature smile that would always manage to light up my mood._

_"Hey, did you need my help?" he asked_

_"Yeah, come in" I said and closed the door as he came inside my room._

_"So what did you need me for?"_

_"These" I said showing him the programs. "I don't know which one to pick" he raised an eyebrow._

_"Just pick the one you prefer mostly. I don't see how could you need my help. Did my idiotic jerk half-brother's influence affect your brain or something?" he said crossing his arms._

_"Stop saying that" I said in Percy's defense._

_"Stop defending him! He treated you like crap! He broke up with you the day of the fireworks, the most romantic event in Camp Half-Blood! After he invited you, too! What kind of person does that? Only idiotic jerks like him!"_

_"Yeah, maybe what he did was wrong but he said it wasn't working! That's why he broke up with me. I can't force him to stay with me if it's not working"_

_"What wasn't working Annabeth?"_

_"Well…"_

_"Did you two have constant fights?"_

_"No…"_

_"Did you catch him flirting with other girls?"_

_"No…"_

_"Did he catch you flirting with other guys?"_

_"I never flirted with other guys!"_

_"Has either of you done a jealousy scene in front of the other?"_

_"No…except when-"_

_"Except when we crashed on each other and I was only in a towel, of course"_

_"Uhm…well, no"_

_"So WHAT wasn't working? You two were like the perfect couple! He has been a lying jerk to you, two weeks ago, and you were crying your heart out over him because of how love-struck you wer- you **are**" It was hard to admit it but he was right._

_"Could we just…stop talking about it? Please" His expression softened. I didn't notice I had a tear falling, until he came closer and wiped it with his thumb. He then stroked my cheek leaving his warm hand on it._

_"Let's take a look at the programs" he said. I smiled a bit and handed him all the applications. He dropped his hand and layed on the floor beside the bed where I sat on while he was reading the programs. As he was done reading each of them he passed it to me and I read it again. After a while, he read Stanford's application again and finally spoke up._

_"Stanford's the one" he said._

_"You sure?"_

_"Have you read it carefully?"_

_"Yeah"_

_"I'm positive! This architectural program is wonderful! They have also offered you a full scholarship, thanks to your grades and extracurricular activities. You have to accept this offer"_

_"Well, it is wonderful…but…."_

_"But what?"_

_"Stanford's in California"_

_"So? You can come back and visit on vacation. You will also be able to see your family…if you want to, that is"_

_"Yeah, but…I don't know… maybe I should refuse and pick another one" His eyes widen in disbelief._

_"Have you gone nuts?"_

_"This is the thing: I've always done what I thought was the right thing. Like being always perfect in everything I did…maybe want to be a little crazy this time"_

_"No, you don't want to be crazy. You're not thinking clearly because you're thinking about Percy. I mean- I get it he's you first crush! But-" he stopped on his track as I shot him a look at the word 'crush'. Realization dawned on him "Oh…" he got up and sat next to me pulling me into a hug burring his face in my brunette hair. "I'm sorry…" Jack said "I meant…I meant: 'relationship'. But there will be other guys… and I don't say it because I'm a guy" I chuckled a bit "This is your future, Annabeth. You can't let it slip through your fingers like this because of a broken heart. Even in the darkest moments, there's always a light guiding you ahead"_

_"And what do I do when I see this light?"_

_"Follow it" I looked at him and smiled a bit, although a small frown was still on my face "You won't be able to have another chance like this one" Jack said "Just because of a failed relationship with a jerk, you can't throw away something like this" I rolled my eyes for the 'jerk' thing "We're still young, Annabeth, but being alone 18 years of your life makes you see things differently. I can tell you I know how you feel because what you're going through now, I went through it at 14" That caught my attention. He looked at me and immediately understood, that I wanted to know what he was talking about. "Her name was Sabrina. I was in Boston at the time, working as a delivery boy. I secretly attended to her school, that's where I met her. She was a senior, but she and her sister let me be part of their friends. I've been alone all my life, and I immediately had a huge crush on her. Then she graduated. We spent all summer together, but the day where I wanted to confess my feelings for her, she had left Boston to go to her college. Sabrina left without telling me anything, or saying good-bye, like if our friendship never existed. I never felt so heartbroken…after that I swore to myself I would never fall in love. That's when I stopped trusting anyone. But that was until I met you and….**you-know-who**" I knew he was referring to Percy when he said 'you-know-who' with anger, but I was still kind of depressed for making the 'Voldemort' joke. Jack paused and looked at me again "I know that for you this feels like the end of the world…but it's not. You can be sure that you might meet a few more jerks, but one day, you'll find a guy that treats you the way you're supposed to be treated" he said._

_"What if I don't?"_

_"I **know** you will" _

_"Thank you" I said burring my face in his chest, then Jack planted a kiss on my head and tightened his hug as I hugged him back as tight. "I love you" I said. Jack suddenly pulled away with a strange expression on his face. "I meant it best friend's way" I explained._

_"I know, it's just…you're the first person who has ever told me that" he said with a happy smile, and hugged me again._

_"I love you too…best friend's way" he said._

**_End Flashback_**

I looked at Jack, now. "I'm glad I followed that light" I said. Jack smiled. And put an arm around my shoulders as we walked out of the office after saying good-bye to the girls. Lily was still trying to recover from the shock of having her idol standing a few feet from her. But Jack, being the cocky playboy bastard he partly is, he simply HAD to wink at her with his famous 'sexy' grin. What did Lily, do? She passed out.

"We'll take care of it!" Skyla said putting Lily on a chair with Silena.

"Jack!" I scolded.

"What?" he said.

"Could you try not to kill my co-workers, please?" I scolded, he just laughed.

* * *

**And there you got chapter two! How was it? Was the flashback of the heart to heart moment Jack and Annabeth had good?  
Review and let me know!  
Contructive criticism is always well accepted! ;-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Here's chapter three. I warn you this can be a little boring, but I just didn't want you to wait too long for another chapter. Anyway... Enjoy!**

* * *

**Aphrodite's POV:**

"Oh, they're so cute! But not as cute as Percabeth" I cooed.

"Remind me what your plan is this time, again?" Athena asked me as we watched Annabeth and Jack going out of the building.

"Oh, I just got bored with my job and I want some drama" I answered polishing my nails.

"Wasn't getting together Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario enough drama due to the 6 years age gap between them?"asked Apollo

"Well I'm huge fan of Logandra, but Percabeth is the best! And I want some drama for the best! What's better than brotherly rivalry?" I said checking my make-up.

"Why do you _always_ have to mess with our kids?" Poseidon asked.

"Last time I checked, I wasn't the one who almost killed Annabeth before my son's proposal" I snapped back.

"Ugh! Not this again!"

"And may I re-call that you ALSO wanted to me mess with Jack's love life!" I paused "I never felt so triumphant in my immortal life!" I said proud of myself as the memory came back.

**_Flashback_**

_I was looking at the scene in front of me. Jack comforting Annabeth and talking some sense into her. Demeter and Artemis were at my side along with Athena, who looked speechless._

_"Well…That was unexpected" she said "He's nothing like Poseidon and Perseus. He's so… mature and understanding"_

_"Well, what did you expect? He was a roamer since last year, and he's 19. It's obvious he grew up faster. He lived just like my huntresses" Artemis said. _

_"Plus, have you seen how smart he is?" Demeter said._

_"Shhhh! It's getting interesting!" I said and we looked back at them on Hephaestus TV. Jack and Annabeth were hugging after Jack told her she will find the right one, one day._

_"I love you" Annabeth said. Jack suddenly pulled away with a strange expression on his face. "I meant it best friend's way" she explained._

_"I know, it's just…you're the first person who has ever told me that" he said with a happy smile, and hugged her again._

_"I love you too…best friend's way" he said._

_"Aww!" Demeter and I cooed. "That's so sweet!- How CUUUUUTE!- I think I'm going to vomit…" the last one was the captain of 'Team Dating Sucks', Artemis, the other two were Demeter and I. Athena was silent._

_"Hey, Athy! What's wrong?" I asked. She glared at me with her intimidating eyes._

_"Don't you dare call me 'Athy', Aphrodite!" she snapped_

_"Whatever…what's wrong?"_

_"Nothing… I have a strange feeling about this"_

_"What is it, Athy?" She inhaled and exhaled deeply to send the annoyance away, as I smirked._

_"He was right. What wasn't working in Perseus and Annabeth's relationship? Nothing. Why did he leave her like that?" she said._

_"Because your pathetic daughter doesn't deserve my son" Poseidon said coming into the room._

_"What are you talking about? Percy and Annabeth were made for each other" I said, defending my favorite couple since Helen and Paris._

_"Don't you dare call my daughter 'pathetic' Poseidon! If we're here partly is thanks to her, too" Athena said. I slowly noticed all the gods were coming to the throne room, looking at the scene._

_"You want to know what wasn't working? Me" Poseidon said "I made Percy break up with your daughter"_

_"What? How could you? He's your son!" Athena shouted._

_"Exactly! Annabeth is no good for him. Percy deserves so much better. Plus, one of your good-for-nothing daughters? HA! All your kids can do is stick their nose in a book, and play chess!"_

_"Don't you dare talk like that about my kids! Why did you break them up? What did you do?"_

_"Simple: either they break up or your daughter dies. Simple as that"_

_"You little son of a-" Athena didn't finish and lounged at Poseidon with her weapon, but luckily Artemis managed to hold her back._

_"Let me go, Artemis!" Athena shouted._

_"I saw all the scene earlier, too. I won't let Jack fall in love with your daughter" Poseidon said with an evil grin. **THAT'S IT!**_

_"OKAY! I HAVE HAD IT!" I roared jumping up my throne "Poseidon, you are going too far! You don't approve of their relationship? Fine! But breaking them up like this was NOT okay , with me, Athena, Annabeth, and I suppose your own SON! Percy is gone now, and there's nothing I can do! But Jack is here though. He already has been heartbroken, and he became a big jerk! Now that he's finally open up to someone, I AM NOT LETTING YOU MESS WITH HIS LOVE LIFE! Jack has never known love, and now that he found someone he might get to fall in love with, you will have to pass over my dead body before you can even consider to do something to him! You hear me? YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH EITHER JACK OR ANNABETH, YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO ME FIRST AND YOU CAN BE SURE THAT **DON'T ** WANT THAT!"_

_"BRAVOOO!- Woooohoo!- A-phro-di-te! __A-phro-di-te!" I heard all the gods shout and cheer making a standing ovation for me. Poseidon looked like he had shrunk._

_"Poseidon!" Zeus called. He slowly turned towards my father "You are not allowed to interfere with Jack Knight's life, ever. This is an order" Zeus said. Poseidon looked angry._

_"As you wish, my lord" he said bowing._

_"Athena" Zeus called. She faced him._

_"Yes, father?" she said._

_"You are not allowed to interfere either. In any way" he said. Athena bowed her head._

_"As you order, Zeus" she said. Then all the gods left. Athena looked at me before mouthing and 'Thank you' and vanished. I love being loved by others._

**_End Flashback_**

Yeah… it's good to be the winner. Anyway, back to business.

* * *

**(A/N: Leobelle fans give me a : Woo-hoo! Okay, enough. Here come the kids. Who thinks that them dating is gross because Annabelle's dad is married to Leon's mom, you can think what ever you want, but being not blood-relatited at all, I don't see what's the problem)**

**Annabelle's POV:**

I was sitting on the dance school's entrance steps, thinking. Today, I'm going to meet my uncle. I'm 17 years old, and I'm meeting him for the first time. Of course, I always knew that _the_ Jack Knight was my uncle, but I always saw him on DVD. No one in school other than Leon knew. Speaking of which, it was taking him a while to change. As I was about to turn around, a pair of familiar lips connected with my cheek. I turned on the other side and saw Leon grinning happily.

"Hey" he greeted offering me his hand to stand up. I gladly took it and got up greeting him back. "Something's up" he said as matter of fact.

"The sky?" I answered. He rolled his eyes shaking his head

"I'm serious, Ann. Something's bothering you. What is it?" he asked rubbing his hands on my arms.

"I'm nervous"

"For what?"

"Leon, my uncle has just arrived from India. I'm going to meet him for the first time, today. Plus, look at me! How old am I?"

"17"

"How am I supposed to act? If I were 2 years-old like Angel, I wouldn't have a problem, but I'm not! How am I supposed to act when I meet him? Hug him? Shake his hand? Simply wave at him? And what about how can I call him? Shall I call him 'Uncle Jack'? 'Jack'? 'Mr. Knight'? 'Uncle-I-have-never-met-until-now'?"

"The last one is kind of long, I don't think that would do" he said smiling. I laughed. "Don't worry about it. Be yourself. It's gonna be alright. I'm excited to meet him because he's working with my favorite actress! Anne Hathaway is _so_ hot!" he said, making a pervert face. I punched his chest.

"Excuse me, Mr.! But I re-call you _have_ a girlfriend!" I said.

"No! I mean-uhm…she's hot, alright, but not as beautiful as you!" he immediately added.

"That's better. Plus! She's too old for you!" I said. He smirked and placed his forearms on my shoulders leaning closer.

"Is Miss Annabelle Jackson jealous?" he said. I felt my cheeks get hot.

"NO!"

"Not even the tiniest bit?" I gulped because of the closeness.

"No…" He raised an eyebrow, looking extremely cute.

"You sure?" He said with a low voice. I gave in at that and abruptly removed his arms form my shoulders.

"OKAY! Okay! FINE! Yes! I get a little jealous!" He smiled and leaned down and gave me a quick kiss.

"Don't worry, Ann. I'm kind of excited too! Since my mom married your dad, Jack is my uncle too…sort of. You get it" I laughed nodding. Then he laced his fingers through mine and we headed back home.

* * *

**Annabeth's POV:**

As I got back home, Jack wasn't with me because he said he had to go to the hotel to join Jamal and check-in. I was kind of surprised the he would let a 9 year old kid (he told me the age along the way) be in a hotel on his won, but he said that his co-star, Anne Hathaway, would babysit him for a while. You would say '_a world famous actress has time to babysit a kid?_'. Apparently she does. Plus, he had to join the rest of the cast since he will start filming tomorrow. Even if he wasn't with me, I invited him to have dinner with us, he could also bring Jamal. Leon and Annabelle arrived a little bit after me. Annabelle looked kind of disappointed for not seeing her uncle yet, but she quickly recovered as I told her he would stay with us for dinner. While Percy and I were cooking, Leon and Annabelle were setting up the table. Angel was in the living room playing with Pegasus, who was no longer a kitten, but a Mr. Cat. After a while, we were done cooking and Percy and I just stayed in the kitchen talking as Annabelle and Leon told us they were done setting the table. As we were alone, Percy came to me wrapping his arms around me. I gladly returned the hug. Then he looked at me in the eyes and kissed me without saying anything.

"What was that, for?" I asked as we pulled away, keeping our foreheads touching.

"What? I can't hug and kiss my wife?" Percy said with a grin. I chuckled.

"You know what I mean" I said with a small smile

"I just felt like it" he said. There was a moment of silence, then Percy spoke up again. "Wise Girl, can I ask you something?" he said, his cheeks slightly red.

"Anything" I answered.

"It's been a while I was thinking about it, and…uhm…" he was getting kind of red

"Yeah?"

"How should I put this? I was wondering…well…uhm…If that's okay with you… I would like to-" he was cut off as the doorbell rang.

"They're here!" I said and went to open the door.

"Who is it?" I asked as I arrived to the door. _What? Better be careful!_

"Mary Poppins" the person at the door answered. _It was Jack, alright._

I opened the door and Jack was standing there holding a little boy' s hand.

"Hey, Jack!" I greeted, he greeted me back by wrapping his free arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek, murmuring a 'hello'. I instantly let them in. Then Jack spoke up.

"Annabeth, I wanted to introduce you my son, Jamal. Jamal, this is my best friend, Annabeth" he said with an arm around the little kid's shoulders.

"Hello, Jamal" I said smiling at him. He simply stared at me with a shy smile waving his hand a little.

"Jamal, don't be rude, say hello" Jack said lightly shaking his shoulder has an encouragement.

"Hi" Jamal said. Jack shook his head a little.

"He's very shy" he said. I smiled.

"It's okay. Come on now, dinner's almost ready" I said leading them to the terrace where we set up the table. I have to admit the terrace was pretty big. There was enough space to have party here. "Everyone! Jack and Jamal are here!" I called. Percy then popped out of the kitchen. He said hello to Jack by giving him a manly hug, he also kneeled down and opened his arms, Jamal looked at his father first, and as Jack nodded, he hugged Percy. "Mommy! Daddy! Look at my drawings!" Angel said coming out of the kitchen. Angel was very smart for her age. She could already draw like a 5 year-old, and could already read and write. Like I said she was smart. Well, she obviously got that from someone *cough*cough* _Me_ *cough*cough*. Percy picked her up as she showed us one drawing of an owl and one of a dolphin.

"It's beautiful, Angie" Percy said looking at the drawings.

"You're really good, Angel" I said, sneaking an arm around Percy's waist.

"Wow, the perfect mixture of the two of you" Jack said looking at us with a smile. Angel then noticed him.

"Mommy! Daddy! Prince Daniel is here!" Angel said. She was smart, but she always had her 2 year-old moments. Percy and I laughed.

"No, sweetie" I said "That's your uncle Jack, he _plays _Prince Daniel. He's an actor, he _pretends _to be a prince" I explained.

"Like when I play '_Fawies_' with Jenny?"

"Yes, sweetie" I said smiling at her. Angel's smile got even wider. She had Percy's smile. Percy put her back down and she raced to Jack shouting "Uncle Jack!" Jack leaned down and picked her up hugging her.

"Here she is! My little niece!" he said. Angel then kissed his cheek. "Oh, that was nice!" he said looking at her.

"Uncle Jack, do you also play Jim in _Speed Test_?" she asked. _Speed Test_ was her favorite movie.

"Yeah, it's me, I'm also Devin Highs, in _I searched for your name_" he said smiling.

"I didn't see that"

"If your parents allow you, you'll see it when you're older" he said and put her back down. Then Angel saw Jamal and went to him as Jack put her back down.

"Hi! I'm Angel!" she said.

"I'm Jamal" the boy said, shyly.

"You two are cousins" Percy told them. Angel smiled widely, and also Jamal had a shy smile on. Then Angel hugged his waist, being shorter. Jamal looked surprised, but then he returned the hug. We all smiled at the scene. Angel has always been like this. She always showed affection to her friends or family members, and now Jamal was a family member.

"I can see the whole family is here, but I'm missing two people. Where are Leon and Annabelle?" Jack asked. I was about to answer, but, as I f on cue, we heard some yelling from upstairs.

"LEONARD THOMAS CHASE! Give me my book back NOW!" That was Annabelle.

"Come and get it!" Leon answered. Then we saw them coming down. Leon had a book in his hand and held it up in the air, holding Annabelle back with his free hand. Annabelle was jumping up and down to get it.

"Give it back, Leonard!"

"Wow, you're using my full name! You're serious!"

"You bet your sorry butt, I'm serious! Give it back!"

"No!" Then Annabelle hit him in the stomach with her knee. Leon bent forwards in pain, and Annabelle grabbed the book.

"Thank you very much" she said.

"Dang it, Jackson! What's your problem?" Leon said holding onto a chair.

"You stealing my…" then Annabelle noticed Jack "…things" she finished looking at him. Jack looked at her

"Annabelle" he murmured and walked to her, his smile getting wider, while Annabelle looked shocked. I saw a thousand emotions in her eyes. As Jack was in front of her, she looked like she wanted to hug him, but in the end she stuck her hand out. Jack smiled, but hugged her, Annabelle looked surprised, but hugged him back. "Here she is! My other beautiful niece!" he said hugging her. Then he pulled away and looked at her "Wow, you look just like your dad" he said "Except for the-"

"Eyes, I know. Dad's are green, mine are blue" she said smiling. I looked at uncle and niece and noticed for the first time, how small Annabelle was. She wasn't extreamly short, but she wasn't tall either, like I am, and if I feel short next to Percy, let's not me mention Jack. He wasnt' like 8 feet tall, but still his good 6'4" feet. Percy was just a little shorter. Anyway, as I looked at them, I noticed Leon, behind Annabelle, making gestures with his goofy grin noticing the dislevel of height between Annabelle and Jack. My step-daughter noticed but remained silent for a moment, while Leon kept making gestrures, grinning like an idiot.

"Yes, Leon, I'm short! Got a problem with that?" Ann snapped making Leon stop. He gust shrugged smiling goofly, and walked to Jack.

"Hi! I'm Leon!" Leon said joining us after he recovered from the kick.

"I know you" Jack said looking at him. A chill ran down my spine. I never mentioned my past relationship with Jack to Leon! He knew we were best friends, but I forgot to mention him the dating part…_oops!_

"What?" was Leon's _oh so_ smart answer, wonder whom he got that obtuseness from…wait…Apollo, the father.

"Yeah…you probably don't remember, but I saw you-"

"-A couple of times!" I butted in. Jack gave me a look and immediately shot him another he understood immediately.

"Yeah, you were like…this big" he said using his hand to show Leon's height last time he saw him. _Oh, Gods! How am I gonna tell Percy? _

"Sorry, I don't remember" Leon said with an apologetic smile.

"Its fine we meet now" he said. Then Jack introduced Jamal to Leon and Annabelle as well. Then as Angel was about to drag Jamal with her, Percy came back out of the kitchen saying dinner was ready…I didn't even notice. During dinner time, Jack and Percy had lots of catching up we all also joked around, especially Jack and I, like we always do. Percy didn't seem to budge. Annabelle and Leon looked very interested in Jack's new movie. Jack also was very interested in Leon and Annabelle's dance classes. It's been a while since they started taking dance classes. They have won 4 competitions now. Their first was two years ago…the day Percy and I got together again…anyway, as they talked, I remembered when I found out Jack danced, and he was really good. Percy was very good too, the only thing is that Jack became a professional. He always had this passion. I remembered when at camp we had a dance competition, and Jack and I decided to participate together. We danced a Jive, Salsa, and Merengue. Jack was a complete dancer; he taught me how to dance those three. I remember that when I found out he could dance; I was still heartbroken… a lot. Jack was the only one who managed to make me smile and not think about Percy for a while. I remember I had gone taking a walk in the woods, when I heard some music. I followed it to the creek, and there Jack was, with a radio, shirtless, sweaty, practicing some dance steps. Because of the music, he didn't hear me, but when he noticed me, and was like 'What are you looking at?' he said smiling. There he explained to me that dancing and free running were his ways of taking out stress. But somehow, the topic we were on, went to another, and to another, until it made me think of Percy again. I remember though, that as Jack noticed, he silently turned the radio back on, he took my hand and got me to stand up from the rock I was sitting on, then he placed my hand on his shoulder, and placed his on my waist, as our other hands interlocked. Jack then began teaching me Salsa's basic steps, then Jive's, then Merengue's. It started out as a way to cheer me up, but then, we started having like, our own dance classes.

"Annabeth!" Jack called.

"Whoa-yeah- what?" was my brilliant answer.

"You zoned out" Leon said.

"I did? Sorry about that" I said putting a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Annabeth, Jack just said that you two participated to a dance competition at Camp Half-Blood when you were 18" Percy said.

"Yeah, we did. We got second place, though. First place were two kids from the Apollo cabin. I think it was Marianne, your dance teacher, Leon, and her brother" I said.

"Dad?" Jamal butted in Jack looked at him "I was wondering…uhm…could you and Annabeth…well… show us how you danced?" he asked shyly. Jack's face seemed to light up. He was ALWAYS up to dancing.

"Sure!" he said.

"No" I said feeling my cheeks hot already. Dancing in front of my friends was fine, but… I don't know, in front of my family felt different.

"Come on, Mom!" Leon said.

"No, guys, really!" I said.

"Come on, Annabeth! We never saw you doing some real dancing!" Annabelle said

"Come on Wise Girl, I never saw you dancing, either" Percy said.

"We danced together at Leon and Ann's competition!" I said.

"But that wasn't real dancing! Plus, Jack is a professional, come on!"

"Please, Mommy? Pwetty please?" Angel asked making the impossible to resist puppy dog face.

"Well…" I was about to give in, but then Jack had to speak up.

"Come on, Anna! You can dance… or are you afraid of making a fool of yourself?" he provoked… and I went for it…Gods! He knows my weak spots too well!

"I'm not afraid of dancing, Jay" I answered back challenging him.

"Still, if you don't want to dance, I'm positive that you don't remember the dance moves anymore"

"I never forget something I learn, and only fools are positive"

"Touché! So…you're gonna dance or give up?" I immediately stood up and went inside, got the radio and prepared the song we danced on, once, on a Jive. The family cheered, and Jack also stood up and walked to me. Like I said before: the terrace had lots of space, we could hold a party here. I pushed play and the song started **(A/N: Here's the link to the choreography: ** watch?v=Y-5PY7fLz3E **The dancers are Raimondo Todaro, professional dancer, and Cristina Chiabotto, now ex- Miss Italy. You need to see this.) **As we were done dancing, Percy, Annabelle, Leon, Angel and Jamal cheered for us. I haven't danced like this in years! Jack and I were panting catching our breath again, but we were both smiling, Jack then pulled me in a hug, and we both sat back down.

"Mommy! You're gweat!" Angel said hugging me as I sat back down next to her.

"Mom, that was great dancing!-You two work really good together!" Leon and Annabelle said.

"Awesome!"Jamal said, giving us thumbs up.

"You're amazing" Percy said looking at me, with a smile.

"Thanks" I said smiling at them. "You haven't lost your touch, Jack" I said.

"You haven't lost yours either" he said smiling. Then Angel rested her head on my shoulder, yawning.

"Come on, Angel, let's go to bed. You already passed your bed-time" I said picking her up

"But, Mommy! I'm not tired" she said in a sleepy voice. Percy then came to me and took her in his arms.

"We'll take her to bed" he said and we went in the house with Angel, already asleep in Percy's arms.

"We'll un-set the table" Annabelle said. As Percy and I came back to the terrace from Angel's room, as Percy went into the kitchen, I saw Jamal taking a glass, but Leon took it away from him.

"No, Jam. I'll take it" he said.

"But I have to help" Jamal said.

"No, you don't. I'll do it" Leon said.

"But you already have a glass!"

"No, you're the guest. Sit here and relax. I'll do it" Leon said but as he lifted his hand a little to give him a playful smack on the hand, Jamal left him the dish flinching back looking …scared. Leon noticed, but looked at him confused, he lifted his hand back up to ruffle Jamal's hair, but the boy ran back to Jack hugging him. Leon then gave up and shot Jack an apologetic look, and went to the kitchen.

"Hey, Jam. Relax" Jack said rubbing his back.

"He was going to hit me" the boys said burring his face in his Dad's neck.

"No, he wasn't. Leon was just playing with you" he said.

"But why did he lift his hand as if to hit me?"

"Because, Leon just wanted to give you a playful smack on the hand, because you wouldn't give him the dish"

"But I have to help" Jack smiled.

"At home, you do. But when you're the guest, it's the host that does that"

"So, Percy and Annabeth are not mad at me because I didn't bring the dishes?"

"Nope" Jack said smiling at his son "Remember, no one is going to hit you here" Jack said. Jamal smiled and hugged his Dad. "Now, go say sorry, to Leon. He looked very sorry" Jamal nodded, and went into the kitchen. I smiled and walked to him, as he got up from the chair.

"You still have your way with kids" I told him. Jack looked at me and smiled. I walked to him and asked "So…why did Jamal look so scared, anyway? Did his real parents beat him?"

"No. Have you seen '_Slumdog Millionaire_'?" he asked.

"Yeah. The kid was named Jamal, too"

"Yeah, well…like the main character, that's where _my _Jamal comes from" I was shocked. "I did meet him on one of my charity trips, but when I saw him, he was being bullied by older orphans. They were beating him, badly. I stopped the beating immediately sending away the older kids and took him to the hospital"

"Oh…" was all I could say.

"At first he didn't trust me either, but then I spent a lot of time at the orphanage, getting to know him, that's when I understood, that even if I had everything someone who lived his whole life alone could ask for: friends, respect, a job I love, fame…I understood I missed something other than my family, my _real_ family, I missed a kid. That's why I adopted Jamal" he said. I smiled and hugged him. _He had always been very caring for everyone. That's mainly why I fell for him, years ago._

"So… you fell for me years back?" he asked. I felt my cheeks hot. I pulled back and looked at his smirking face.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" I asked embarrassed. He smiled.

"Yup!" he said. I felt really, _really _embarrassed. That goodness Percy wasn't here and neither were the kids.

"BUT! I fell for you because, I didn't know you _perfectly_" I said. Jack chuckled.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, at first I hated you, then later on I started to think you were, handsome, charming, caring, smart…"

"And then?"

"Then got to know you much better, and you ruined the image" I said getting out of the hug.

"Ow! That hurts!" he said putting a hand on his heart. I laughed, but then, a memory came to me…

* * *

**Okay, here it was chapter three. Now you also got Jamal's background too. What do you think Percy wanted to ask Annabeth?  
****Review and let me know!  
Contructive criticism is always well accepted! ;-)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Annabeth's POV:**

**_Flashback_**

_It was May 4th of my third college year. I was 20. Two years Percy had broken up with me, two weeks Apollo left me. Even though I wasn't THAT much of a wreck anymore, I still kept thinking about Percy and that stupid law Zeus decreted, refusing to see what was right under my nose. I thought that this feeling of emptiness was gone, but even with Apollo, that feeling didn't go away completely, and now that I was on my own again, it didn't take long for it to fully come back. The weird thing was that…I was still heartbroken over Percy. Anyway, I was having a work experience at Viper Enterprises, other than studying, studying, and studying. When I was dating Apollo, Jack and I were still close friends, but he became more distant, he would tense up every time I mentioned Apollo, and still, if I mention the 'Percy' topic. As Apollo broke up with me, I thought I was almost as much devastated as when Percy was gone, but it was because I thought I was one of the many girls that had fallen for the Sun God, since ancient times.  
Anyway, it was May 4th , and I was at the Viper Enterprises doing my job. I was making some photocopies while talking to Hazel, a girl, demigod, who was having a work experience with me. She had asked me about my break up, and we ended up giving grades to the guys in the office. Then she looked behind me and gasped._

_"Annabeth! An A+ at 12 o'clock!" she said_

_"What?"I asked._

_"Jack Knight is here! As in RIGHT here! You probably don't know him, yet, but I saw his first movie and he's a fantastic and hot actor!" she said. I turned around, I saw Jack standing by the door with his breath taking smile…**WAIT! Did I say 'breath-taking'? Whatever!**_

_"Hey Smartie" Jack said coming to me._

_"Hey Travel Boy" I greeted. He leaned down and kissed my cheek. I turned back at Hazel, who looked…shocked._

_"You know each other?" she said with her eyes wide._

_"Pretty much" I answered. I then introduced them. Hazel looked like she wanted to stay in the room forever, but in the end she got back to her duty._

_"How are you doing?" Jack asked_

_"Right now, I'm a DISASTER!" I answered "I can't make ONE relationship work correctly: my boyfriend breaks up with me the day of the fireworks, two years later, I fell for a God who is known as a playboy, I'm full of school work, I'm trying to get a promotion, my boss is a bitch, I almost screwed up our friendship and-"_

_"ANNABETH!"_

_"What?"_

_"You should breathe between monologues. Plus, you didn't screw up our friendship. I'm still here. AND you don't have to beat yourself up about this. Everyone is lost at 20"_

_"You're not! Look at you. You just had a huge success with your first movie. You have recently acted in one movie with Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and you got to kiss and sing with Angelina Jolie, your favorite actress. With all the interviews you're having right now you should be stressed, but you certainly aren't"_

_"You look very stressed out though" he said wrapping his arms around me. Then his crystal blue eyes lit up: he just had an idea. "You like camping, right?" he asked._

_"I LOVE camping, not like"_

_"Great! As you get home, prepare your camping stuff for the week. You need a vacation" he said and kissed my cheek._

_"As much as I want to accept the offer, I can't. I have an exam at the end of the month"_

_"You're such a workaholic. Come on. One week is not gonna make you fail"_

_"No, really, I can't I have to study" I said and ordered the photocopies, then Jack wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder._

_"Come on, you seriously need a vacation…and you also need to distract yourself from **something** and **someone**" he said rubbing his hands on my stomach. I stopped organizing the papers and looked at him. _

_"What time do we need to leave?" I asked. Jack's eyes lit up._

_"6a.m. Traffic will be crazy after that"_

_"See you tomorrow" I said. Jack let go of me with a smile as he accompanied me back to my working place._

_"See you tomorrow…Oh! And bring something warm. It gets cold at night" he said. I smiled as he got out of the office._

_XXXXXX_

_"And that's it" I said as we were done setting up the tent._

_"I guess the fun can now begin" he said._

_"Yup! But FIRST we need rules, since we are: an emotionally-screwed-up girl and a…uhm…"_

_"Extremely good-looking guy?" he suggested._

_"Yeah, whatever… We need rules. I don't want anything to happen that can ruin our friendship"_

_"Okay" He said with a smile._

_"Rule n°1: Sleeping in our own sleeping bag" He nodded. "Rule n°2: **No flirting**" I said shooting him a look. He chuckled. "Rule n°3: Absolutely NO midnight swim" I said looking at the beautiful lake in front of us._

_"Rule n° 4: no speaking about college, exams, study, or ex-boyfriends. That's what we came here for"_

_"Aye, aye, Captain" I said._

_XXXXXXX_

_Two days later, unlike Jack, I was really, **really** tired already, Jack and I have been walking miles exploring the place for three days. The thing was that I NEVER get tired. It was weird. Anyways, we were camping on a beautiful lake. There were woods everywhere, and you could see the other mountains from our position. Also, we were quite up in the mountain. It was beautiful.  
So far, Jack only broke Rule n°2…it was only Jack, of course…OKAY, MAYBE I BROKE THAT RULE TOO! But just a bit! Gods!_

_"So, what do you wanna do now?" Jack asked sitting on the log I was sitting on, next to me._

_"Right now, nothing. I'm super tired" I said resting my head on his shoulder._

_"**Super** tired? What happened to Annabeth?"_

_"You dragged me everywhere, exploring! Plus, there's less oxygen where we are, it's obvious that you get tired more easily! How can you still have the energy to do something else?"_

_"Being a roamer your whole life helps. It also gets you to learn parkour when you need to escape from monsters or cops chasing after you right after you killed a monster. But seriously, you never get tired for anything and you get tired for a few miles of walking?"_

_"Shut up" I said in a tired voice_

_"What happened to you? You're always like: 'People! Here comes Super-Annabeth! Now I'm going to draw a thousand blueprints with my left hand, write strategy plans with my right hand, slay 50 monsters with my left foot, hold the sky with my right foot, and when I'm done with those: I'll help a man with no thumbs; life is impossible without your thumbs'!" he said doing the typical 'Super-Man' pose. I laughed. If there was one thing that Jack and Percy had in common, was the sense of humor. Sure, Jack used to get very cocky at times, while Percy would just give you his adorable goofy grin….**Percy**. I was still thinking about him. Jack seemed to notice._

_"So, what do you wanna do?" he asked knocking me out my thoughts._

_"Did you bring your radio?"_

_"Yup"_

_"Go get it. I just want to hear some music"_

_"Aye, aye, Captain!" he said and went inside his tent. He soon came out with his radio. I told him to put it on channel 105.04 and we began listening to some music simply enjoying each other's company. It was a nice moment. I don't know how much time we spent there just doing that. I only know that after a while the bonfire was up and that we were eating marshmallows. I don't remember how many marshmallows I have had, I only know I wanted lots of them. Jack noticed and in the end he had to take it away from me or I would have finished our only bag. After we ate, we simply stayed there listening to a CD Jack had put on. It was a CD with all the songs we both knew, so we would either sing them together or just listen to them. We were enjoying the evening. As the sun settled, Jack put a blanked around us and I rested my head on his shoulder and wrapped and arm around his waist, searching for body warmth. He just tightened his arm around my shoulders. Suddenly the next song that played was **Broken Arrow **by **Pixie Lott **I have always loved that song, but as I heard the lyrics, I was just shocked. **WHAT THE HADES? Is this song STALKING my life? **_**(A/N: Listen to the song, and you'll understand) **_What's worse is that it was exactly the same as what was going on with me, and the song's bridge and chorus were the worst parts because they said:_

_"And you're sitting in the front row  
wanna be first in line  
waiting by the window  
giving me all your time  
You could be my hero  
If only I could let go  
but his love is still in me  
like a broken arrow_

_What do you do  
when your heart's in two places?  
You feel great but you're torn inside.  
You feel love but you just  
can't embrace it.  
When you found the right one  
at the wrong time"_

_I looked at Jack. He was staring blankly at the fire. Then he noticed my gaze. We locked eyes for a moment. This part of the song was really about how I was feeling at the moment. Jack had always been there for me. When I was with Percy he always used to stay near me, but he always kept a distance because he knew I was with somebody else and he accepted it, for instance he wouldn't kiss me or hug me almost constantly because he didn't want Percy and I's relationship to end because of him. When Percy left me, he was there. He has always been there for me as shoulder to cry on and simply as a friend and someone to rely on. He was always trying to make me smile, and he could do that very well. He would comfort me, but also scold me when I was behaving like a stupid and pathetic lovesick puppy (which happened more than twice) but no matter how harsh he could be, he was always sincere. He knew that some things he said might have hurt my feelings, but they did until I realized he was right.  
When I was with Apollo, he became distant again, but this time, we haven't spent much time together at all, mainly because, let's just say that Apollo could be very possessive, Jack noticed this and became very distant, but when I first told him, Apollo and I got together he looked…hurt.  
Luckily now, we are as close as we were before, and here he was: comforting me and trying to make me smile._

_Jack then looked at me in a strange way. I believe he thought the same thing I was thinking when I heard the song. Then he cupped my face with a hand and kissed me…on the cheek. But, even if on the cheek, this kiss felt different… I don't know how or why, but it did. Jack then leaned his head on mine and tightened his arm around my shoulders._

_"It's okay" he said softly. I just nodded my head. We stayed like that for a while, then Jack looked up at the night sky. The sky was beautiful here, the stars shone like diamonds and there was a full moon that reflected on the lake's water. If you looked carefully, you could see fireflies flying around. Jack looked then at the lake, then he looked at me with a mischievous grin. He got up from the log taking the blanket off of him, and kept looking at me with that mischievous grin of his. I instantly got the message as he pulled off his hoodie._

_"No. Forget it" I said._

_"Come on, it'll be fun" he said._

_"It's midnight and we're in the middle of the mountains! The water will be ice cold! Plus, you're about to break Rule n° 3"_

_"What's the point of having rules if you can't break them?"_

_"The point is **not** to break them"_

_"Whatever you say, Anna. But, come on! The water is not gonna be **unbearable**"_

_"Easy for you to say! You're the other son of Poseidon"_

_"Don't be such a party pooper. It'll be fun!"_

_"Still! Easy for you to…" I looked at him taking his shirt off "…say" I finished. I bet my cheeks were red as he turned around to put his shirt on the log in front of the one I was sitting on. I took a nice view of him and looked at his perfect back musc-wait!- last I saw him shirtless, he didn't- oh, right! They made him work out for the movie. As he turned back around and was taking off his shoes, I took a nice view also of his eight-pack… it didn't change that much since the…**incident**…in the Poseidon cabin._

_"Like what you see?" he said smirking. I figured I've been staring for too long._

_"Nothing I haven't seen before" I answered smirking back; he just smirked even more and raced into the water, not caring if I was calling him telling him to come back. He immediately jumped into the water but came out as quick as he jumped in._

_"GODS! IT'S FREEZING!" he said as he came out, then he seemed to concentrate and relaxed. "That's better" he said looking completely relaxed._

_"Are you peeing in the water?" I asked._

_"What? No! I warmed it up, am I or am I not a son of Poseidon" I just smiled at him._

_"Come on, Anna. Jump in!" he invited me._

_"No, thanks"_

_"You're such a party pooper! Why are you a party pooper? You don't know how to have fun!" I knew I shouldn't have jumped in, but I was about to give in. "Come on! I've already warmed up the water, or are you afraid?" he provoked, and I fell for it… again. I took the blanket off me and took off my sweater and shoes, leaving on my jeans and undershirt, then I jumped in too. Jack cheered as I jumped in._

_"It's freezing cold, you idiot! You didn't warm it up!"_

_"You didn't feel it before, plus, I can't warm it up too, much. It might kill the fish"_

_"The **fish**? What about **me**?"_

_"You can handle some cold water" I rolled my eyes and splashed him, he splashed me back, and we started fooling around swimming and splashing each other. Soon after the midnight swim, we got out of the water and went back to the fire to dry ourselves off and as soon as we were dry, we were in our tent in…. our own sleeping bag. I was dying of cold though. I was already coughing…I'm going to kill him tomorrow. My teeth were chattering, and I was shivering. I felt Jack's sleeping bag move next to mine. I turned around and saw his crystal blue eyes looking at me with concern._

_"This-s-s i-is a-all your f-f-fault!" I said. He chuckled, and got out of his sleeping bag, and before I could complain, he got inside of mine holding his arm up, I raised my head and he put his arm back down, for me to use it as a pillow. I admit I was feeling much better; I stopped chattering and finally got some sleep in my best friend's warmth._

_XXXXX _

_The next morning, I woke up and saw Jack's sleeping face next to mine. He looked so peaceful, but the way he looked made me remember how peaceful, Percy looked when he slept. A wave of depression came back to me. I tried to shake it away, by laying my head back on Jack's chest listening to his heartbeat. I could have fallen asleep, but I felt a strange feeling in my stomach, like if I was a little nauseous, but I ignored that feeling. Jack suddenly stirred and opened his amazing eyes. He smiled down at me and I simply smiled back._

_"Good morning" he said._

_"Good morning" I said._

_"Am I a good pillow?"_

_"Yup, a nice warm pillow" Then I coughed twice feeling my throat sting badly._

_"You caught yourself a cold"_

_"**You** made me catch myself a cold!" The feeling in my stomach grew a bit, but this time it hurt a little, but not too much for me to be unbearable._

_"But you got to admit it was fun"_

_"No" I answered. He raised an eyebrow "Yes, it was" Then he smiled._

_"So, you up for fishing?"_

_"Yeah, why not? But first we need to eat something I'm starving"_

_"Alright but no marshmallows for you, today"_

_"Oh, come on!" I whined_

_"Nope! You're gonna finish the whole pack and there won't be left any for me"_

_"How selfish of you!" I said playfully_

_"I'm saying it for you. Yesterday you looked like you were able to eat 20 packages of marshmallows. I could already imagine a 180 pounds Annabeth walking around"_

_"Ew! Gross!"_

_"Then, no marshmallows for you, today"_

_"Alright. I'll get the cookies and make coffee. Today is my turn" I said, then I leaned up and kissed his cheek…unfortunately he turned his head right on cue, probably to say something, and I ended up kissing him full on the lips. I immediately pulled back, and so did he. We looked at each other shocked for a moment. He had a strange look on his face. "Jack, I'm sorry! I was aiming to your cheek but-"_

_"-No, it's fine…but… can I try something?" he said hesitating a bit. I slowly nodded. Jack slowly put a strand of my brunette hair behind my ear, then he cupped my face with his hand, he hesitated a bit, then he leaned in and kissed me. It was a short, soft kiss but I felt a tiny… spark.** OH, NO! No! No! NO! I can't be feeling the sparks again! That's what I felt when I first kissed Percy! Oh, gosh! No! I can't be… falling in love again?**_

_"Did you feel anything?" Jack asked me as he pulled back. Part of me wanted to say 'yes', but another part of me screamed…_

_"No" I said. A shadow passed in his eyes and it looked like… disappointment?_

_"Oh…good! I didn't feel anything either" he said and we got out of my sleeping bag. Part of me was happy with that answer, but part of me wasn't._

**_End Flashback_**

I smiled as I remembered those days camping. Jack seemed to notice.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked me.

"Nothing… I just remembered those days when we went camping" I told him. He smiled too.

"Our first kiss" he said softly. "I still think you kissed me on purpose" he said smirking.

"I did not!"

"Sure you didn't"

"I didn't. You turned your head"

"Whatever" We chuckled "Do you remember what happened next?"

"How could I forget?" I said…

**_Flashback_**

_It was almost noon, and Jack and I were still fishing, that feeling in my stomach had grown worse, and my head was aching a bit... maybe something I ate... stupid marshmallows. While we were fishing, we had caught like two brown trouts and one rainbow trout. We were still fishing, but now we would just fish them and let them free. Although I still wasn't feeling well, I kept fishing, but my head started spinning other than aching, and my stomach started aching with small cramps._

_"Jack, I'm taking a break; I'm not feeling well" I said putting down my fishing rod._

_"What's wrong?" he asked._

_"My head hurts, and so does my stomach"_

_"Maybe you should lie down for a while. You either ate too much marshmallows or just have a small congestion because of jumping in freezing cold water when you were warmed up"_

_"If I have a congestion, it's still your fault"_

_"But you admit you ate too many marshmallows" he said smirking._

_"Shut up" He laughed._

_"I'm taking a break too, let me take the rods, and I'll join you. I'll make lunch; it's almost lunch-time, anyway" I just nodded in response. I made my way towards the tent, when my head started spinning even more and my stomach was giving me painful cramps._

_"Hey, do you think you can eat trouts due to your stomach ache?" Jack asked coming to me. I didn't answer. My head was spinning and aching like crazy, let's not mention my stomach. My vision was getting blurry as black dots appeared in my vision. "Annabeth? Are you alright?" Jack asked with concern rubbing his hands on my arms from behind me. I still couldn't answer; I slowly turned around and collapsed in his arms. The last thing I remember was him calling me name._

_When I woke up, I was in a hospital room. I looked around and saw the white room, with white ceiling and white walls. As my vision got clearer, I saw a familiar young man. I noticed he had changed clothes since I last saw him before passing out. He was wearing dark jeans, a white muscle shirt and a black and gray hoodie with the sleeves up to his elbows. He was sitting on a chair next to a table near the window, reading a book, I managed to read out the title **'Second Chance'**. **(A/N: Some publicity for MY fanfiction, which WILL become a book. I'm translating it in Italian, changing names and a little stuff to turn it into a book; then I will publish it. But this was MY fanfiction. You should check it out)**_

_"What's that book about?" I asked Jack._

_"Hey, you're awake!" he said smiling. Then he got up and came to me, still holding his book, then he leaned down and kissed my cheek._

_"How long was I out?" I said as he sat down on my bed._

_"A while"_

_"What happened to me?"_

_"I don't know yet. The doctor will come at any moment" I nodded._

_"What's the book about?" I asked again. He looked at it and smiled._

_"It's about a girl named Zaira Levi who everyone thinks has a perfect life and a guy named Light Jameson who everyone treats as a delinquent because he's an emancipated 16 year-old who had a rich father. She is very responsible and outgoing, while he is very anti-social and keeps up this façade, but she sees right through him. It's practically the story of two outcasts meeting and falling in love."_

_"Wait. If the girl is very outgoing and has a perfect life, to everyone… how can she be an outcast?"_

_"Read and find out" he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and looked at him with a small smiled. Then I patted the spot next me on the bed._

_"Would you read me a bit?" I asked him. He smiled and layed down next to me, putting an arm out for me to use it like a pillow, while he held the book with his other hand. As we got comfortable, he started reading a bit. I liked that story, I found it interesting. Jack was reading a part where Zaira was getting ready to go to a party with Light and when he sees her he is practically drooling over her and her little twin brothers go on 'tease-mode' and make fun of them. Then at the party the spend some time together since their friends force them to dance together. Then Light's cousins tell him they need to talk to him and he goes to the balcony while Zaira talks with her friends Claire and Peter. Then she goes out to the balcony to find Light alone, they have a heart to heart moment and then they start dancing. While they dance they then look at each other and they both start to lean in and then-_

_"How are you feeling, Miss Chase?" the doctor said coming in. Jack stopped reading and closed the book._

_"Better" I answered._

_"Is your head still spinning and aching?"_

_"No"_

_"Your stomach cramps?"_

_"Gone" I answered._

_"Good, you can go in an hour, so we can be sure the painkillers don't have any side effects due to your condition" I was puzzled._

_"Condition?" I asked. "What happened?" Jack asked at the same time._

_"Your girlfriend had a congestion and-"_

_"Oh, no! She's not my girlfriend" Jack said._

_"We're just friends" I said. The doctor shrugged._

_"Anyway, your congestion was due to eating too much and jumping in cold water while you were very warmed up"_

_"But what did you mean with '**condition**'?"_

_"I mean that you wouldn't have passed out if you weren't expecting" The doctor said. My eyes widen._

_"**Expecting**?" Jack said with wide eyes._

_"Miss Chase you're two weeks long pregnant" the doctor said. I just stayed there shocked by the news. That was why Apollo left! Because of Zeus' decrete he couldn't stay with me anymore. The doctor then left leaving some papers for me to sign to get discharged. Jack had fallen silent. I thought about the song we had heard yesterday and the shadow of disappointment that had passed through his eyes, when I told him I hadn't felt anything in that small kiss… what if he…  
I put a hand on my stomach, knowing I had a little baby in there._

_"Jack?" I called. He took his arm away from under my head and sat up, staring blankly in front of him. "Jack, say something, please!" I begged, yes, I **begged**. He turned around and what he did next surprised me: he tackled me in a hug, so suddenly, that he pushed me back down on the bed, with him on top of me. Then he kissed my cheek repeatedly. I managed to get my face out of his 'cheek-kissing' rage and got his attention._

_"I'm okay with the sudden 'affection-showing', but you're giving me mixed up signals" I said, looking at him in the eyes as we sat back up. Jack smiled like crazy and took my face in his hands._

_"I'm so, **so **happy for you!" he finally said. I couldn't help but smile. He hugged me again, this time gently, the we pulled away. "Wow, a mother!" he said._

_"Yeah. I can't believe it myself" I said. Jack then looked down at my stomach and rubbed a hand on it._

_"Hi, Leon!" he said smiling. I raised an eyebrow._

_"How do you know it's a boy? We found out two minutes ago" He just kept grinning goofily._

_"I don't know" he said. Then Jack told me he would go back to our tent and put the camping stuff away, since, it was better for me to go back home. As he left though, realization came to me. I was 20 years-old, I was still in college, I had to work to live, and I was pregnant. Apollo was a god and couldn't stay with me to help me, my father and his family won't be very welcoming to me, Percy was gone, the girls had their own crazy study/work business to take care of, and Jack was busy filming his new movie, in summary… I was alone. Little did I know I couldn't be any wronger than that._

**_End Flashback_**

Percy's POV:

I was coming to the living room, when I saw Annabeth and Jack hugging friendly… a little _too_ friendly to me. _No! BAD Percy! You know your brother wouldn't do that to you! Neither would Annabeth!_ The smart part of my mind said. I stayed hidden behind the corner…eavesdropping. I know I shouldn't do it, but _still_!

"So… you fell for me years back?" Jack asked. I felt something in my stomach hitting me hard

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" Annabeth asked embarrassed. He smiled. _Grrrrr!_ Was all I was thinking.

"Yup!" he said. I swear I was about to burst out there and make a scene, not caring what the kids would think when.

"BUT! I fell for you because, I didn't know you _perfectly_" I said. Jack chuckled.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, at first I hated you, then later on I started to think you were, handsome, charming, caring, smart…" Other hard blows in my stomach….

"And then?" Another blow

"Then got to know you much better, and you ruined the image" she said getting out of the hug. Then I sighed in relief… they were just joking around

"Ow! That hurts!" he said putting a hand on his heart. Annabeth had fallen silent for a moment, then a smile crept on her face. Jack seemed to notice.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked her.

"Nothing… I just remembered those days when we went camping" Annabeth told him. He smiled too. _They went camping? Alone? When?_

"Our first kiss" he said softly but not soft enough for me not to hear it. _THEY KISSED? They freaking KISSED? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? _"I still think you kissed me on purpose, though" Jack said smirking, knocking me out of my trance.

"I did not!" Annabeth said in defense

"Sure you didn't"

"I didn't. You turned your head" _If he turned his head… that means she was probably about to kiss his cheek…hmm…_

"Whatever" They chuckled "Do you remember what happened next?" Jack said. Now THAT got my attention.

"How could I forget?" Annabeth said. "It was the other best day of my life" she said. _Other?_

"Other?" Jack asked as if reading my mind.

"The other is my wedding with Percy" she said. With that sentence, all the pain from those blows I felt in my stomach where gone. A huge grin was on my face. I looked at my left ring finger, glad to finally have that wed-ring know Annabeth had it too. Jack smiled. "I know I said it, but I will repeat it: I'm glad you married Percy" he said. My grin couldn't get any bigger. Annabeth smiled "Even if he hurt you in past turning you in a love-struck puppy that would cry a river every time I would mention him-"

"Shut your mouth!" Annabeth said with her cheeks red.

"Stop denying! You went 'Bella Swan-mode'. I have witnesses. Deal with it"

"Shut up!" he rolled his eyes

"Anyway, as I was saying, even if he hurt you years back, you light up with him; he didn't become a god because you are his anchor to the mortal world, and he is making you the happiest woman on earth. We both know that he left you because of what connected you two: Love. Even if you say you fell for me years back, I knew that, deep down, you were still in love with Percy, and that your feelings for him would have never changed. He loves you so much that he was able to leave you to keep you alive, risking of having you to hate him" he paused "I swear, Annabeth, if I knew that Poseidon-"

"-Jack, don't worry about it. You didn't know" said Annabeth. _What didn't he know about Poseidon?_

"Still, now that I know, I don't regret it, but I think that what happened between us was wrong…" _What happened between them? GRR! I HATE not understanding things and look stupid_!

"Why?" Annabeth asked

"_Because…" _Jack started, guilt was in his eyes. But guilt for what? "…Percy is my brother; brothers don't make moves on their brother's girlfriend if he left her to protect her. When you'll tell Percy what happened, a backstabber will I be all I'll ever be to him"

"That's not true! What about your friends? Me, Thalia, Silena, your son Jamal, we love you" she said.

"I know, but… how am I supposed to ask your husband, who's my brother to be okay with our past when… I now know it shouldn't have happened?" Annabeth looked at him in an understanding way, then she took his hand in hers. _Still, what the Hades happened?_

"There's _nothing_ about you that's bad. You're not selfish, or a liar, or a backstabber… 'bad' it's not who you are, trust me… You're a wonderful person, that's why fell in love with you once. Percy loves you. You don't know how much he's missed you. 'A backstabber' is the last thing he's gonna think of you" she said, then she leaned up and kissed his cheek. Usually I would get a little jealous, but… I wasn't. "Plus, it's me who's gonna tell him, not you, so if someone is gonna get skinned, that'll be me" she said chuckling, Jack laughed along.

"When are you gonna tell him?" Jack asked.

"Tonight" I think I heard enough. Time for me to get out of my hideout. _I believe Annabeth and I will have a lot to talk about. _

* * *

**There you go: Chapter 4! Review please! Constructive criticism is well accepted! Hope you liked this chapter ;-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Jack's POV:**

That night, I went back to the hotel with a sleepy Jamal in the cab. As we got there, I paid the cab and carried Jamal to the room, since he fell asleep in the cab. Poor kid, he was so tired. He looked so peaceful when he slept, that I didn't have the guts to wake him up to change into his PJs so I changed him myself, and put him to sleep.  
Today has been hectic. I finally met my nieces, I saw my brother again, my best friend and her son… Gods how much Leon has grown! He was so little, he really had grown a lot, and he is the exact guy version of Annabeth! The same brown hair, the same sky blue eyes, the same nose, only that Apollo's genes made all those looks manlier. Annabelle is the exact copy of Percy except for the eyes. She got Hecate's eyes. Angel, was the perfect mix between Percy and Annabeth. If you didn't know Percy and Annabeth had gotten married two years ago, you could think that the kids weren't two step-siblings with a sister in common.  
As I was getting ready to go to sleep, thinking of Leon, Annabeth and putting Jamal to bed, made some memories come back, good and bad…

**_Flashback  
_**

_A month and a half had passed since we found out Annabeth was pregnant. This morning, after a radio interview, I will take Annabeth to hospital for a check-up.  
As I was done with the interview, I went to Annabeth's dorm and knocked on the door. Her roommate opened the door._

_"Hola, Milagros! Annabeth està pronta?"**(Hi, Milagros! Is Annabeth ready?)** I greeted. For the record, I learnt Spanish while I lived in Mexico._

_"Hola, Jack! Pienso que sì. __Come in" she said with her Portorican accent. "Annabeth Jack is here" she said. Annabeth came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee… COFFEE?_

_"Annabeth! It's the fifth time I tell you! You can't drink coffee!" Milagros and I said at the same time as I snatched the cup out of her hands, well Milagros said it in Spanish, but whatever._

_"Good to see you too, Jack, y desculpe, Milagros, me he olvidado de eso otra vez! __Has desayunado?"**(and I'm sorry, Milagros, I forgot about it again! Did you have breakfast?)** she asked her roommate with an innocent face._

_"You're lucky I didn't" Milagros said taking the coffee cup from my hands. Anyway, after we had snatched that coffee cup away from the pregnant lady, I took Annabeth to hospital. We waited until a nurse came out_

_"Chase" she called. Annabeth got up and was about to enter the room, when she looked at me. I was still sitting down, not sure if I should go in or stay out._

_"Can you come with me?" she asked me. I smiled and got up and we entered the room together. The doctor greeted us and told Annabeth to lie down on the 'bed' doctors use for these kind of check-ups. Then she placed the gel on Annabeth's stomach and then put the ultrasound thingy on her belly. Annabeth was holding my hand as she looked at the screen._

_"So, Miss Chase, this is your baby" she said pointing at the screen. Annabeth smiled widely as I was._

_"How is it doing?" we asked at the same time we looked at each other a let out a small laugh._

_"It's doing great. You don't need to worry, young parents" Dr. Jefferson said. I blushed and so did Annabeth._

_"Oh, he's not the father" Annabeth said, the doctor raised an eyebrow._

_"Don't get us wrong! I'm her best friend" I told the doctor who looked even more confused._

_"The father left" Annabeth said. Dr. Jefferson nodded understanding._

_"Oh… I'm sorry. Another guy who doesn't want to take care of his responsibility… idiots" the doctor said. Annabeth gave a small smile. "Anyway, do you want to hear the heartbeat?"she asked us. Annabeth smiled and nodded squeezing my hand a little. Dr. Jefferson then pressed a button on the machine and it zoomed on the baby and we heard the heartbeat. I was smiling like an idiot. Annabeth was smiling ear to ear too._

_"My baby…" she whispered softly. Her hand was squeezing mine and I was doing the same._

_"Do you want a picture?" the doctor asked._

_"YES!" we both said. The doctor smiled shaking her head I don't know if I'm wrong, but she muttered something like 'Young love… so oblivious'._

* * *

_Two months had passed since Annabeth and I had found out she was pregnant. If you have ever wondered how it is to have a friend that is a pregnant 20 year-old young woman who is a demigod daughter of Athena, the answer is: painful. Why? Because an Annabeth with mood-swings is worse than an angry Minotaur. Tip is: whatever she asks you, DO IT! I think I'll never get used to it._

* * *

_"YOU DID **WHAT**?" Annabeth thundered._

_"I told the University's board that you will study at home due to your pregnancy" I told her._

_"NO! I have to go to school!" she complained._

_"No, you will stay home and study here! Remember what Dr. Jefferson told you? You need to rest. You can walk around, but not too much. Stress is bad for the baby. You just have to stay home for other four months" I reminded her._

_"Exactly! I'll be bored out of my mind! What about work?"_

_"Don't tell me you didn't ask The Witch to give you a break for **maternity**" Annabeth gave me an idiotic smile. **Wow, who would have thought that I would use 'Annabeth' and 'idiotic' in the same sentence!**_

_"No"_

_"Annabeth!"_

_"Hey, at least let me go to work!" _

_"No"_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I'm not letting work when you're in this condition"_

_"Jack, I'm pregnant not handicapped. I promise I won't stress out too much"_

_"Hmm"_

_"Please?" I took a deep breath_

_"Alright"_

_"YES!"_

_"BUT! If you feel sick once, just ONCE… you stay home until you're due" She nodded and hugged me. I let that go for the moment, but I swear that I was always worried. What if she passes out? What if she stresses too, much? What if The Vixen makes her work too much? All those questions had haunted me for two weeks. While shooting, at lunch break, I would always call Annabeth to check up on her, to see if she was alright. In the movie I was shooting right now, there was the female lead-actress, Angela Lansbury, who played my mother, who I became very good friends with, she would always try to calm me down, saying I didn't have o worry this much._

_"If you worry like this not being the father, I can't imagine what would you do if you were the dad" she kept saying. Until one day, I had a shocking phone call. I was shooting a scene where I have a fight with my mom and she slaps me. After the tenth time Angela slapped me, my phone rang._

_"CUT!" the director said "Jack! Why didn't you turn it off? We're shooting" I was about to answer but Angela got it covered. I looked at the ID and saw it was Annabeth._

_"Anna?" I said._

_"Jack! Please, come! I'm sick! My stomach hurts so much! Help!"_

_"Okay, Annabeth don't panic! Breathe! I'm on my way" I said and hung up. I turned back to the director "James, I gotta go. It's an emergency!"_

_"Is your friend sick?" Angela asked concerned._

_"Yes, I have to go. I'm sorry" I said and ran to the motorbike. I immediately arrived to Annabeth's new apartment and got in with the spare key. I called her, and found her on the living room's couch clutching her stomach, in pain. I picked her up and carried her to her car and immediately drove her to hospital. Luckily it didn't take long for the doctors to come and take her in a room while I stayed outside, pacing back and forth. After a couple of minutes that seemed like hours. The doctor came out._

_"How is she? What happened? And the baby?" I asked, with all my nervousness. Dr. Jefferson smiled._

_"They're both fine. Annabeth is asking for you to come in" she said. I immediately got inside the room. Annabeth was sitting on a chair, she saw me and smiled. I immediately rushed to her and hugged her._

_"Are you alright? What happened?" I asked._

_"I'm fine. **We're** fine" she said putting a hand on her grown stomach._

_"What happened?" I asked Dr. Jefferson again._

_"She had an attack of high pressure due to stress" the doctor explained. I glared at Annabeth and she answered with an idiotic smile, again._

_"What did you do?" I asked glaring at her._

_ "Uhm… you know, study, and work. The usual"_

_"Annabeth Alexandra Chase, you got me worried sick! What. The. HECK. Did. You. Do.?" I asked again shooting daggers at her._

_"I ran around the whole building at work giving sheets to sign and blueprint copies to everyone, gosh!"_

_"That's the exact opposite of what you should do. You should rest" Dr. Jefferson said_

_"Exactly! No more work for you for the rest of your pregnancy" I decided._

_"No!" Annabeth complained._

_"Annabeth, listen to your boyfriend" the doctor said._

_"He's **not** my boyfriend!"_

_"Boyfriend or not, you're staying home" I said_

_"But-"_

_"That's final" I said._

_"B-"_

_"Would you like to find out the sex of the baby?" Dr. Jefferson interrupted. That caught our attention. Annabeth nodded and layed on the hospital bed, then the doctor put the gel on her belly and the ultrasound thingy. She looked at the screen and then turned back to us. Annabeth was squeezing my hand._

_"It's a boy" she finally said. Annabeth smiled, then looked at her stomach._

_"Hi, Leon" she said smiling._

_"Wow, you were quick to pick the name!"said Dr. Jefferson with a smile._

_"I didn't pick it. He did" Annabeth said looking at me, and we both remembered when we found out she was expecting. We thanked the doctor and got out of hospital. During the ride back to Annabeth's house we were silent, since she has been pouting for the whole time. As we got to her house, Annabeth got in without saying anything. I knew why she was doing that, to have me apologize._

_"I know you want me to apologize so you can get the chance for me to let you off the hook, but I know you too well to fall for that" I said._

_"Why won't you let me go to work? What am I supposed to do for the whole day at home, for 4 **months**?" she said._

_"I don't know! Use your imagination! You could do a…puzzle?" She raised an eyebrow._

_"You're a **genius** and that's the best thing you could come up with?"_

_"Fourth degree equations with four unknown elements and fractions?" I suggested. She raised both her eyebrows_

_"**Equations**? Really? Those you said are the most boring thing ever… who in the world would be crazy enough to do them as a hobby?" There was a moment of silence._

_"I do" I said. She looked at me shocked._

_"You're kidding, right?"_

_"No"_

_"You are seriously **not **normal" I was about to complain when we heard crying from outside. We both went on the small balcony and saw Milagros crying on the balcony next to Annabeth's, while eating a huge cup of ice-cream. Before you get confused, Milagros accidentally rented an apartment next to Annabeth; it was really by pure chance._

_"Milagros, what happened?" I asked._

_"I broke up with my boyfriend" she said eating the ice-cream_

_"Okay, I'm sorry, but… what flavors did you get? And how much? 2,2lb?" Annabeth asked looking at the ice-cream. I could see an imaginary drool on her face as she ate the ice-cream with her eyes…**Oh, crap.**_

_"3,31lb of chocolate, coconut, mint and cream" she said while eating and crying._

_"May I have a spoon of it?" she asked_

_"NO!" she shouted._

_"Come on! Just a spoon!"_

_"I SAID: NO!"_

_"Annabeth! Ice-cream is bad for you! But, seriously, Milagros, 3,31lb is too much for you too!" I said as I turned back to the Portorican girl._

_"Easy for you to say!" she said._

_"Que ha sucedido?"**(What happened?)** I asked._

_"He visto mi novio besarse con una otra chica… aquella puta y Gerard… el carbón! __Yo lo-"**(****I** **saw my boyfriend kissing with another girl... that bitch and Gerard... the bastard! I will-)** and she got back to crying. _

_"I know you're angry and all, but please! Just one spoon of ice-cream!" Annabeth begged._

_"NO!" Milagros shouted._

_"The 'Ice-Cream of Consolation' is well deserved" I told Annabeth_

_ "But it is like 2,2lb of ice-cream!"_

_"**3,31lb**!" Milagros corrected._

_"Come on, just one!" Annabeth begged._

_"NO!" she said as I grabbing her by the waist and forced her back inside the house, far from the ice-cream._

* * *

_Month 6. Annabeth's mood-swings are driving me insane. Since that little accident, and since I know her, I'm keeping my eye on her. Every day, I either call to check up on her, or pay her a visit at her apartment. During lunch break, while eating, my phone started to ring. I looked at the ID and saw it was Annabeth._

_"Hello? Annabeth? Are you alright? Did something happen? Does your stomach hurt?" I answered. She laughed on the other side of the phone._

_"Yes, I'm alright. No, nothing happened and no, my stomach doesn't hurt" she said_

_"You sure? I can come if you want. I'll just get the-"_

_"Jack!"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I'm fine! Geez, Jack, you act like **you're** the father, chill!"_

_"Oh, sorry… you sure everything's okay?"_

_"JACK!"_

_"Okay, sorry! Why did you call?"_

_"I wanted to ask you if you would like to come and have dinner with me, tonight"_

_"Oh… yeah, sure! What time?"_

_"8:30?"_

_"8: 30 it is!" I said smiling_

_"Oh, and another thing" she said before hanging up "Happy Birthday" I remained silent. I had totally forgotten it was my birthday! April 25thand I was turning 22 years-old. "You have forgotten, right?" she said. I she was smirking._

_"Stop smirking and yes, I forgot"_

_"How did you know- You know me…"_

_"…Well"_

_"Too well!" I laughed and after saying good bye we hung up. For the rest of the day, I have been filming. As I got home, I took a shower and changed for the night. I put on dark blue jeans and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. I tried to comb my hair a bit, but they would always make part in the middle, no matter what, so I gave up. I drove with my motorbike to Annabeth's house. As I got there, I rang the doorbell, and she opened the door greeting me with her beautiful smile._

_"Hey, Jack" she greeted kissing my cheek._

_"Hey, Annabeth" I said kissing her cheek as well, "Hi, Leon!" I said as I rubbed a hand on her stomach. She smiled and invited me to come in. Dinner was already served on the table. During dinner, we talked and laughed, and I made sure Annabeth didn't eat too much, although I let her have a bite of the cupcake she made for me, since she wasn't allowed to eat too much sweet stuff. After dinner, Annabeth also gave me a little present. It was a simple ring, that resembled a wedding ring, but it had a small silver chain tha went through it. I looked at it and saw there were craved the words 'Best Friends Forever'._

_"It's a friendship ring. I have one too" she said and showed me her left hand. In fact she had the ring on her middle finger._

_"I love it! Thank you" I said and kissed her cheek. She smiled, took the other ring and put it around my neck. I looked at the ring held by that chain, around my neck. I loved it. I was about to say something, when Annabeth flinched a little and had a strange look in her eyes._

_"Are you okay?" I asked going in 'soon-to-be-father-mode'. Then Annabeth smiled from ear to ear._

_"Jack! The baby!" she said smiling._

_"What? Are you okay?" I asked._

_"It kicked! Look!" she said putting my hand on her stomach. Nothing was happening, but then I felt something under my hand. The baby had kicked._

* * *

_July 15th, ., Annabeth is in labor. I was shooting the ending scene of the movie, when Annabeth called saying that her stomach hurt a lot and that she was in labor. I immediately got to her house and brought her to hospital. The scene was hectic, but also funny because Annabeth… let's say wasn't exactly herself._

_"And they say you forget labor pain immediately! 'Immediately' my foot! I swear, if I find who said that I'll kill him! He surely is a guy because he has no idea what's he talking about!" she yelled._

_"Yes, Annabeth" I said holding her hand as I walked beside her while the doctors were taking her to the delivery room._

_"Don't you 'yes, Annabeth' me, Knight! I'll kill you too once I get out of here!" she yelled._

_"Yes, Annabeth. I'm sure you will" **Don't argue. Just keep telling her she's right.** We had just arrived to the delivery room. Annabeth was squeezing the lights out of my hand as Dr. Rodriguez was doing her job, while I was staying behind the hospital's bed headboard, letting Annabeth crush my hand._

_"You're doing well, Annabeth. Keep breathing and pushing. Your baby is coming" the doctor said "You can come see, Mr. Knight" she said I instantly blushed_

_"NO! A **head** passes there! And –" I yelled, but was cut off by Annabeth_

_"For Gods' sake! He's **NOT** my boyfriend!" she yelled. I really didn't want to go see, for mine and Annabeth's sake. "Doctor, it's not possible for the kid to come out from… down **there. **I'll put two fingers in my throat and make it come out from UP **HERE**!" she kept yelling."Oh gosh! I'm seeing the Grim Ripper telling me to hurry up! He has stuff to do!" she shouted._

_"Is her saying this nonsense normal?" I askedthe doctor._

_"Unless she's high or normally says stuff like this, then yes, it is normal" she answered_

_"This is all your fault!" Annabeth kept shouting. I looked at her shocked._

_"What the-! Have you gone nuts? How the heck is this my fault?" I said._

_"Not you! The father! I know he can hear me!"_

_"You are high."_

_"Thank you" I blinked shocked._

_"It wasn't a compliment"_

_"Oh… then No!- I mean- Hey!- I mean- what the hell was that supposed to mean?" I blinked again._

_"Annabeth, did you drug yourself?"_

_"Yes! With all those stupid medicines they gave me"_

_"I can see the head! Keep pushing!" the doctor said. Soon after more yelling and Annabeth screaming nonsense, Leonard Thomas Chase was born, and I did something that would be very 'I-just-became- father' like when the kid was not even mine… I passed out._

* * *

_"Hey, Jack!" Annabeth greeted as she came back home from work._

_"Hey, Anna" I greeted back while holding little Leon in my arms "Look, Leon. Mommy's here" I said motioning towards Annabeth and as if he understood, he immediately held his arms up for his mom to take him._

_"There's my little boy!" Annabeth said taking the three month old baby in her arms. "Did he behave?" she asked me as she rocked her son, in her arms._

_"Yeah, he didn't burn any tents with his powers like last week"_

_"Yeah, thank goodness my new neighbor is a fan of yours or he wouldn't have let me off the hook that easily. I miss Milagros"_

_"Yeah, me too… too bad she moved closer to the University. Anyway, how was work?"_

_"Great!"_

_"Really? Is The Witch ill?"_

_"No, I got a promotion!"_

_"That's great! I'm so proud of you!" I said hugging her and the baby._

_"Although… I have a problem"_

_"What?"_

_"I'll be working full-time and I can't leave Leon alone. I'll have to hire a babysitter"_

_"I can take care of him until you come back" I offered. She gaped at me, not sure what to say._

_"A-no. I can't let you do that"_

_"Why not?"_

_"**Because**,I don't want you to spend your free-time babysitting Leon, all the time. You surely have other stuff to do, I don't want to take all your time. Plus, you have interviews to attend to" she said. I smiled._

_"Annabeth, you don't have to worry about it. My interviews are all during the week-end, and it's okay, I can take care of Leon while you go to work" _

_"As I said: no. You have better things to do then be stuck with your best friend's kid. I'll hire a babysitter"_

_"That's exactly why **I **want to stay here to babysit Leon. I'm your best friend and I wasn't to help you; I don't mind staying here with your kid. I actually enjoy to look after him, plus, I don't have anything better to do" she raised an eyebrow_

_"Really?" she said, obviously not believing me "And what about, that co-star of yours, the one that plays your love interest… the Argon girl… Vidia?"_

_"It's **Vivian**"_

_"Yeah, whatever" she said. I rolled my eyes "Aren't you supposed to hang out with her? Rumor says Javian is about to form"_

_"**Javian**?" I asked surprised._

_"Jack + Vydian"_

_"**Vivian**"_

_"I don't care!"she snapped. It made me smile how she would always get jealous when I work with pretty actresses. "Anyway, shouldn't you hang out with her? It's obvious that she likes you"_

_"Nah, Vivian and I are just friends. She's so sweet… and who wouldn't fall for me?" I grinned._

_"Aw! We're getting cocky, aren't we?" she said smirking._

_"Come on, let me babysit little Leon for you" I asked again giving her my best warm smile. Annabeth tried not to look at me, but my smile made her give in._

_"Alright" she agreed. I smiled widely and kissed her cheek now that she finally agreed.  
I really liked to spend time with Leon. He was so cute. He was always playing non-stop and would always fall asleep every time either Annabeth or I would hold him in our arms. He was really an hyper-kinetic baby. Another thing, he wouldn't let Annabeth sleep. I know that, because once I locked myself out of my own apartment and crashed at Annabeth's for the night and during the night, Leon woke us up at least three times, in the end none of us slept. But even if it wasn't the easiest thing to look after Leon, I liked it._

* * *

_Seven months have passed since Leon was born. As a routine during the week, now that I wasn't filming anything, yet, I would always: get up at 7:30 a.m., get ready, go to Annabeth's, babysit Leon until she gets back, go home, eat (unless Annabeth invited me to have dinner at her house), sleep. It could be tiring at times, but I didn't mind.  
That Saturday morning, I woke up hearing a baby cry. I was at Annabeth's, sleeping in the guest bedroom. Why? Because I locked myself out of my house again. I had gone out with the guys: Nico, Grover, Chris and Beckendorf and when I came back, it was late at night and the guy who kept all the spare keys was probably already sleeping, so I crashed at Annabeth's again… she didn't mind… I think…she never told me otherwise. Anyway, as I woke up, I went towards Leon's room, where I met Annabeth right in front of the room, in her gray PJ shorts and tank top._

_"I get Leon and you make breakfast?" I asked sleepy._

_"**I** get Leon and **you **make breakfast" she decided._

_"Aye, aye" I said and we parted ways. I went to the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast, making pancakes and coffee and taking out some cookies. Someone would say 'That's it?' Yeas, that's it. Neither Annabeth nor I had a lot of breakfast. Soon after, Annabeth came into the kitchen. After breakfast, while Annabeth went to her room to dress up for the day, I washed the dishes, and then I went to the bathroom to take a shower. Little did I know the embarrassing situation that would soon happen next. You see, although I have a 198 IQ, I am clumsy and I can be very absent minded, in fact I have this natural gift of locking myself out of my house, or when I sleep over at times because I fell asleep from tiredness, because of this, Annabeth has some of my clothes here. As I was done with the shower, I went out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist and into the guest room, looking for some clothes, in the drawer, where they usually are… but they weren't! So I did the most natural thing: ask Annabeth. I walked out of the room and went to the living room, sure to find her there._

_"Hey, Annabeth where-" I stopped dead in my tracks, when I saw that in the living room there was a late middle aged man with blond hair and brown eyes. Annabeth turned around and saw me, I swear, her face became bright red, and I bet mine was the same._

_"Annabeth, may I know who is this young man?" he asked. Annabeth shifted uncomfortably._

_"Uhm… this is Jack" she told the man, he walked to me and offered me his hand._

_"I'm Frederick Chase, Annabeth's father. You are…?" **Oh, crap **was all I was thinking, but I put on my best smile and shook his hand, as I thought fast about how to excuse the fact that I was just wearing a towel around my waist, without putting Annabeth in a difficult situation to explain. Then it hit me._

_"I'm Jack Knight, your daughter's boyfriend" I blurted out. I saw Annabeth, behind her dad, widen her eyes. I shot her a look that said 'What-was-I-supposed-to-say?'. Mr. Chase looked at his daughter, puzzled._

_"You didn't tell me" he said_

_"You didn't ask me" she answered glaring at her father. She told me about her bad relationship with him._

_"Anyway" I interrupted "Where are the clothes I brought here? They're not in their usual place and… I'd like to put some pants on… Could you please stop staring at my abs? It's embarrassing with your father here!" I said slightly annoyed on the last part. She shook her head blushing and rolled her eyes._

_"It's the left drawer, not the right" she said._

_"Ah…" I said as realization dawned to me. I'm too, absent minded at times "Thanks" I said and walked to my room, not before hearing her father say_

_"He seems a nice guy"_

_"He's a great guy" Annabeth said. With that I smiled and finally got to the guest room. Turns out her father passed by to say hello and to spend some time with his grandson. Annabeth and I had to fake couple for the whole, day. Maybe mine wasn't such a good idea. Anyway, in the end, Mr. Chase left late in the evening so I had to stay there overnight again.  
After Mr. Chase left, Annabeth went to put Leon to bed while I cleaned the dishes. As I was done, I made it just in time to watch her as she sang the last line of a lullaby to her son. Then as Leon fell asleep, she bent down and kissed his forehead. I smiled at the sight, then Annabeth saw me and smiled at me as she walked out of the baby's room._

**_End Flashback_**

As I slid under the covers of my bed, I smiled remembering my favorite memory.

**Annabeth's POV:**

I never thought telling Percy the truth would have been so easy! He took it well! It didn't bother him at all that I had a past relationship with his half-brother.  
Seeing Jack again, sharing memories with him and telling Percy about our past relationship, made more memories come back…

**_Flashback_**

_"So… the old fashion 'boyfriend' excuse, hu?" I said as I closed my son's room door._

_"It was the first thing that popped in my mind. What was I supposed to say, anyway? '**I'm a friend of Annabeth's who is stupid enough to lock himself out of his house, so I stayed here overnight but we didn't do anything even if it doesn't look like'**?'" Jack said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes._

_"Sorry, about my dad. I didn't know he would have come. Sorry if you have to stay here another day. I suppose you might have had other plans"_

_"It's alright, I hadn't planned anything" he smiled, but then a thought came to me._

_"Thank you" I said suddenly, leaving him puzzled._

_"For what?" Jack asked._

_"For what you're doing… what you did. I thought I would have been alone during my pregnancy and now, but you were always there, and you've done so much for me…" I paused "Thank you, Jack" I repeated._

_"Anytime" he answered with a smile. I smiled back. He then silently accompanied me to my room._

_"Well, then… good night" I said._

_"Sweet dreams" What he did next surprised us both. He kissed me. It was a short, quick kiss and I felt a spark like that day when we were camping… but none of us was expecting it. There was a small moment of silence._

_"Could you… do it again?" I asked him, putting a strand of my brunette hair behind my ear. Jack looked at me surprised, but then he kissed me again. I felt that spark again. There was a moment of silence where I had made up my mind. I had feelings for Jack, and I think he felt the same way. Jack took that silence the wrong way._

_"Sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have-" I cut him off as I rose to my toes, placed a hand behind his neck and pulled him down to capture his lips with mine, as I closed my eyes. Jack was surprised at first, but he then kissed me back. While those other two kisses we had were short, this was long, and sweet. My fingers knotted in his silky wavy black hair as his arms wrapped around my waist. Kissing Jack was great. I never thought of Jack this way, but he has done so much for me that my heart made me do otherwise. As we pulled away, Jack rested his forehead on mine. There was a moment of silence. We silently opened our eyes and stared at each other. His crystal blue eyes glued to mine like if they were trying to figure out something… **what if he did not feel the same way towards me? What if I just did something stupid and now I ruined our friendship? But he did kiss me back, though** my brain kept saying._

_"Sorry… I…" I stuttered "I thought that… uhm… I thought that you-"_

_"The real reason why I stayed here with you, and stood beside you through your break ups, your pregnancy, babysit Leon for you and at tried to make you happy somehow, it's not because I am your best friend. The reason why I always got distant when you were with my brother and with Apollo, and I remember I snapped at you more than once when you would cry over Percy was because… I was jealous of him because it was hard for me to see you with him and then with Apollo because of one reason only …" he cut me off. I looked at him. My heart was racing x10 as he took a deep breath "…I'm in love with you" he said. That sentence made my day. "I've been in love with you, since I was 18" I smiled. He returned my feelings. "You made my old self come back and you brought out a side of me I didn't even know it was there: the affection side. You made me smile again…" he paused and smiled at me "I love you… and not only as a friend" I smiled widely and kissed him again. He immediately returned the kiss. "Does this mean the 'boyfriend excuse' will not be an excuse, anymore?" he asked as we pulled back._

_"I guess it does" I said smiling "I love you, too" I said. That's how Jack and I began our relationship._

**_End Flashback_**

Yeah… I remember that night well… It took me long enough to realize I had feelings towards him! But these feelings are gone now. Now, the only thing that I feel towards Jack is a strong friendship. He is my best friend… and I'm happy Percy took the news well…. I'll have to tell Jack how it went, tomorrow.  
I smiled and snuggled closer to my husband resting my head on his chest as I fell asleep in his warmth.

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**And here's chapter 5! Review and tell me what you think about it! ;-)**


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